Family Bonds
by Nature9000
Summary: After her husband accepts his family back into their life, Trina is inspired to try once again to reconnect with her own family with the help of Beck and Jade. Now a successful woman with children of her own, she desires for them to know their relatives, but after so long will the family she left behind accept them, or is all hope lost?
1. Reconnecting

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 1 (Reconnecting)

"So you've done well for yourself," Trina heard Beck say to her as she carried a tray with small coffee cups into the living room. It had been twenty-five years since she last saw the man and his wife, but they didn't look to have aged much in those years. At most, Beck's once trademark hair had been trimmed to a professionally short cut and he had a thick moustache on his face. Jade West's once long near-black hair was half an inch above her shoulders and lacked its purple stripe.

"Jason and I have tried our best to give our children a good life." She set the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch that Beck and Jade were in. Her eyes drifted to Jason and her thin lips curled up into her cheekbones. "It has been a long time since you've seen your uncle or other relatives, honey."

"Would be longer if our daughter hadn't talked me into this," Jason replied with a chuckle. He scratched his head full of light brown hair and shut his eyes. "How are mom and Uncle Erwin?" Jade wrapped her hand around Beck's and looked towards her husband. Beck shook his head and raised his shoulders.

"They miss you," Beck replied with earnest. When it came to light that Beck was the product of his father's affair during their marriage, Jason wanted nothing to do with him. Mr. Sikowitz and Jason's parents-still married-happily accepted Beck into their lives. As a result, Jason cut them off.

It was reminiscent of her own situation. Twenty-five years ago, after Beck and his two friends Andre and Robbie, decided to pretend to fight over her, she left her family. 2012 was the last she'd seen or heard of them, the night that her father believed three men alone in the house with her over his own daughter. It was the straw that broke the camel's back, she no longer felt safe and secure and moved to San Francisco to be with Jason.

Trina walked behind the recliner and slid her arms around her husband's shoulders. Her eyes drifted to Beck and Jade, and she became curious how her own family was. Still, this was Jason's moment, not hers. "Rachel talked you into talking to them, sweetheart?"

"Yes. I don't even know how she knew about you guys." Just then a tall, sixteen year old girl with shoulder length brown hair made her way into the living room. She wore a purple top with short laced sleeves, and knee length denim shorts.

"A friend of mine is friends with their son," Rachel explained. Her eyebrows rose and she straightened her back as Jade and Beck looked to her with subtle smile. "I think it's nice to actually know I have cousins. Kevin and Katie seem great."

"Where are they right now?"

"Playing in the other room with Shawn and Michelle."

Jade grabbed one of the coffee mugs and her eyes darted up to Trina. "So Trina, you're a prosecuting attorney now. I'm surprised your house isn't bigger." She'd received her law degree in her early thirties, while Jason got a doctorate in Medicine in his mid-thirties.

They had enough to buy lavish things, but with three children, it was better to save the money. The money that could buy a mansion in the hills would go towards their children's college;.

"We thought a simpler house would be better than a lavish one. That way we can save up to send our kids to college." Trina moved to sit in the recliner across from Jason's and crossed her legs. "Past aside, it's nice to see the two of you again."

Jade nudged Beck in the side and motioned to Trina. He raised an eyebrow at her, then turned to Trina. "Right. Anyway, I know it's been twenty-five years but I did want to apologize." Her eyebrows closed together and pushed up a wrinkle between them. "Back then, I wasn't thinking. I just reacted, I don't even remember what started everything, really."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Beck." She preferred to thank him. Things were already tense with her parents and her sister, but she had been trying to be patient and see if they would ever be interested in her. It took Beck's puppet prank and his lying to her father for her to see her family truly didn't want her around.

"I was already taking online courses at San Francisco State University, all you did was make me realize my family didn't want me there, so I was able to move in with Jason. The rest is history."

"Yeah, I suppose that worked out. Never thought you would actually _leave_ though." She heard Jason grunt and her eyes darted over to him.

"Sure would have thought you preferred her gone," he said. "As if I didn't already want nothing to do with the man born thanks to my dad's affair." Beck winced as Jason folded his arms across his chest. He turned his gaze upon his daughter and furrowed his brow. "I'd like to meet this friend of yours that you say is a mutual friend of your cousin."

Rachel smiled warily and carefully brushed her fingers through her hair. "I'll try." It was likely the friend was a boy, in which case their daughter usually avoided letting boys visit the house. Jason and Trina were both protective, and of course they were careful when it came to letting Rachel date.

Both of them dated others prior to meeting at camp, and they both knew negative relationships enough to distrust the teenage boy around their daughter.

Trina studied Rachel closely, squinting her eyes as the teenager spoke of her friend.

Just then, a twelve year old boy with a brown bowl cut hairdo came running into the room. In a flash he tagged Rachel on the back, screaming that she was it, then ran off. "What the-" Rachel twisted around and peered down at the back of her shirt. Trina cupped her hand over her mouth, chuckling at the soap suds now dampening the girl's shirt. "Ah! Shawn, you little urchin!" Rachel's voice rose and she charged after her little brother.

As Rachel left, an eight year old girl with a brown pixie-cut hairdo sauntered in. Her wide brown eyes fell onto Beck and her pink lips spread into a widening smile. "Momma, Daddy, that's my new uncle and aunt?" The girl looked shyly at her parents and hooked a plump finger over her lip.

"Yes," Jason answered. He reached out his arm while Beck and Jade gazed back at the child. "Come here Michelle, it's alright." Michelle climbed onto his left knee and raised her right hand, waving her fingers at Beck and Jade.

"She's so sweet," Jade remarked. Trina's heart swelled with pride and she watched Michelle laugh. Jade met the child's curious eyes and her hands folded in her lap. "Hi Michelle."

"Hi."

Jade brought her hand to her chest. "You can call me Auntie Jade." Trina was taken in by the calm and gentle tone in Jade's voice. The girl had really changed in the last two decades; as did Beck.

She watched her daughter move away from Jason and approach Jade cautiously. "She's not afraid as she is shy around strangers," Trina said. Jade's smile grew and she extended her hand, allowing Michelle to place her hand with Jade's.

"I hope not to be a stranger after this, little one."

"Same here." Beck put an arm around Jade's shoulders and glanced nervously at Jason. "That is, if you'll have us." Jason rubbed his knees and took a deep breath.

"Rachel was adamant that we meet up and that she see her cousins." His lips curled up and he raised his shoulders. "I don't see why we can't try. Mom and Dad still together?"

"Far as I know." Michelle climbed up next to Jade and began to chat with the woman, leaving Beck to talk with Trina and Jason. "So. You two? How did you two meet?"

"Long story," Trina answered. Her heart fluttered as she recounted the memory of their reconnection.

To Trina's understanding, Henry and Pamela Tyler remarried a few months before his twentieth birthday. It was around that time they left on a honeymoon and he stayed with his uncle, who had Tori's friends over for a sleepover acting activity.

Cat dragged him off to the Vega home, he displayed little interest in the girl at the time. That night was the very night she and Jason reconnected. "We actually met at a martial arts camp when I was sixteen. He wasn't quite eighteen at the time."

"A few months short of my eighteenth birthday," Jason added with a smile. His eyes softened and he looked towards Trina with a loving gaze. "The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew there was something special about her." The blood rushed to her cheeks and she bowed her head. "I had to talk to her, she wanted nothing to do with me."

"I'd just gotten out of a bad relationship and wasn't interested in getting into another." She grabbed a coffee cup from the tray and brought it to her lips. "Thanks to a couple good friends of ours at the time, Lindsay and Travis, he persisted and I eventually went around to talking to him. After that, I just couldn't stay away."

"We fell in love, but lost contact after that."

"Mom and Dad weren't too thrilled with the idea of me spending time with a boy I met at camp." She shrugged and lowered the coffee cup to the palm of her left hand. Her eyes peered over it and her smile faded. "And Jason went back to San Francisco to attend college that fall. It wasn't until Mr. Sikowitz had you guys do that acting exercise at his house that we met again."

"I wasn't going to lose her that time."

Jade's nose crinkled and a single line shot across her forehead. "Is that why you took online courses at San Francisco State? I remember Tori complaining about how crazy that seemed at the time." She nodded her reply and leaned forward. Her arms hung over her knees and her hands clasped together.

"I thought it would be better to stay with my family, even though they didn't seem to want me around. I didn't realize how toxic an environment it was until Beck and the boys did that puppet routine in front of my father."

"Was it that bad?" Beck inquired. Trina looked at her young child nestled beside Jade and cleared her throat. She couldn't say much in front of the girl, but there was still quite a bit the child wouldn't understand.

"You guys remember how my family was back then. I still wanted to feel safe with them, still wanted to feel like they did want me around. When the guys restrained me the way you did…" Beck frowned and he bowed his head. His shoulders dropped and a heavy sigh fell from his lips.

She unlaced her fingers and raised her shoulders. "Well, needless to say my dad told me to go away and believed the lie you guys told him over me. Three men in the house alone with his daughter, and he believed the men. What if something had happened? What if those three men would have tried to hurt me in some way? Would my dad still have believed them? I wanted to feel safe back then, but I realized right then that I couldn't be safe, and so I left."

"At least you got out and did something with your life." Jade reached over and placed a hand around Trina's. Trina smiled back at the girl. "You even married a doctor. I'll bet your parents never thought that would happen!"

She fell back with a laugh. "No they wouldn't." She felt a moisture beneath her eyelids and quickly swept a finger across them to prevent the moisture from increasing. Her thoughts travelled to her family and she began to wonder how they were doing.

Seeing Beck and Jason reunite was inspiring, and it thrilled her to see her children having fun with their cousins and their relatives. David and Holly may not even realize they had grandkids through her, and surely Tori would love to see her nieces and her nephew.

"I wonder how much they've changed over the years. Maybe they'd like to see me now." Part of her wondered if they'd accept her back, and even then, if they only did so because of her and Jason's careers.

She pushed that thought away from her mind and watched Jade's smile fade away. Beck shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. "We actually couldn't tell you that," Beck said with a sigh, "Both of us lost touch with Tori and the gang years ago."

"We had to focus on college, and of course you're aware that's when Beck started looking for his real dad." Jade shrugged and Jason's forefinger curled over the stubble on his upper lip. "By the time we were twenty-six, I was pregnant and just starting my career as a counselor."

"Yeah, and I was working as a teacher," Beck said while leaning back. "Andre, Robbie, Cat...I don't know what became of any of them. The whole gang just kind of fell apart and went their separate ways towards the end of high school.

"Why?" Jason asked. Her heartbeat slowed and her eyes closed as the thoughts of her family continued to grow. She wanted them to know their family now. If they weren't ready to accept her then, maybe they thought differently now, and perhaps they might accept her family. "Are you thinking of looking for them, Trina? You don't think they'd just outright reject our children?"

"That's what I'm afraid of, but I don't know…I haven't thought about finding them in a long time, but seeing you and Beck? Seeing Jade? I wonder if maybe now's the time. We're not getting any younger."

"We'd love to help." Jade clasped her hands and raised her eyebrows. "Your dad may still be in Los Angeles for all I know. I don't know about your mom or sister." Trina's brow furrowed and an inquisitive expression came over her. Jade opened up her hands and raised her shoulders. "The only thing I can tell you for sure is your parents got a divorce in 2013."

Her heart sank and she blew out a sudden breath of air. It didn't surprise her, but it was something she had hoped never would happen.

When she looked back up she saw Michelle was now leaning against Jade and had fallen asleep. Trina stood slowly and Jade turned her head to the child. "We'll talk more about this later, but first, let me put my daughter to bed."

* * *

Tell me your thoughts, do you suspect her family will want her and her family back in their lives? How much will it take to get them to accept her husband and children now after all this time? What do you think her parents and sister has been up to?


	2. Local Town Celebrity

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 2 (Local Town Celebrity)

Just outside the courtroom they waited like an angry mob, calling out her name and the questions she had after she landed another conviction. Trina tugged on her navy blue blazer in an attempt to adjust it, then swept down any potential dirt on her slacks that could have come from the courtroom.

It wouldn't be long before she obtained the DA position, but in her longstanding career she'd prosecuted hundreds of cases.

Once outside, cameras flashed and news reporters began to bombard her with questions regarding the case. One reporter leapt directly in front of her and extended the microphone, so Trina held her head high and flashed a polite smile. "The Sawyer family received justice today," she said plaintively, "Ms. Johnson has been charged fully for the murder of Robert Sawyer, and is off the streets."

"What was it like?" She raised an eyebrow and beckoned the woman to clarify. The reporter grinned back at her, and in her eyes was a glimmer of fascination and excitement. "The rush of the court. Mrs. Tyler, you've prosecuted hundreds, maybe even a thousand cases. You must have your eye on the District Attorney position!"

Trina swept a strand of hair over her ear and let out a slight nervous chuckle. "I wouldn't say a thousand, but I'm glad you feel that way. The important thing is that justice is being given to the families of those who have been lost to us." As for the District Attorney position, it was a position that would be appointed by the mayor.

She did work closely with the mayor, and knew her name was on the table with two others-including the current Assistant District Attorney.

"It's a difficult job, but when you work with passion and dedication to the victim and their families, the stress and difficulty of the job no longer matters." The young reporter's eyes lit up with wonder, and her smile increased.

"You are something of a local celebrity, Mrs. Tyler." Trina's heart swelled and she brought her hand up to her chest. She didn't see herself as a celebrity, none of that should matter when trying to make a conviction.

"Thank you. I devote myself to finding the truth. A prosecutor must look at the facts of the case and the evidence, and then I determine if it can be taken to court to obtain a conviction."

The reporter slid her hand over the top of the microphone and the volume of her voice fell. "You don't know, but you helped put my father's killer behind bars almost fifteen years ago." Her eyebrows shot up and she dropped her hand from her chest. "Anton Lewis." Trina smiled back, remembering the case fondly.

Anton Lewis was her first guilty verdict. The man shot the victim in the back multiple times before firing a final shot into the back of the victim's head. The victim's five year old daughter witnessed the murder.

Prosecutors have the power and option to try a case or turn it away. They turn a case away if they feel there is insufficient evidence to get a conviction, among a number of other possibilities.

When the case hit her desk, there wasn't a tremendous amount of evidence, and the biggest piece they had was a statement from the five year old girl. It was a difficult case to process, and a more seasoned prosecutor should have taken it, but Trina felt a sense of duty to the victim and his daughter and took the case to trial.

"You're Rebecca Wilson?" The reporter nodded and Trina's eyes lit up with pride. "That was one of my first cases, my first conviction. It inspired me to keep going. It is good to see you have turned out well."

"And you Mrs. Tyler. For all you've done, for me and for many other victims, thank you." Rebecca's eyes welled up with tears and she quickly swept them away with a finger. "I'm sorry. It just means so much to stand here and personally thank you for taking that case, I heard it was a difficult case."

"It was, but your statement helped to get that conviction." Trina pat the girl's shoulder and looked her in the eyes. Rebecca held her breath and straightened her posture. "I'm sure your father would be very proud of you."

"I've been told the current DA is stepping down and the mayor's considering you among some others. I hope you make it, we need more people like you up there. What's next for you?"

Trina looked past the mob and smiled at the brown SUV in the distance. Jason was leaning against the passenger side of the hood, his arms and legs were crossed and his watchful eyes were sifting through the crowd for her.

Rachel was standing beside her father, texting someone on her phone. Inside the car in the third row seats were Shawn and Michelle, both were staring out the window in awe.

"What's next?" She let out a slow breath of air and closed her eyes. "What's next is I get to be with my family." She didn't have another case to work on at the moment and was about to drive out to Jason's parents'.

Then they might try and drive out to Los Angeles to find her own family. No one knew where to start, but Jade suggested at least trying her old home. There was no guarantee her father still lived there, but it was worth a shot.

"What about you Miss Wilson? Do you have any family to get back to?" From what she remembered of the case, the child's father was the only parent she had left. The girl didn't have any grandchildren, nor did she have any siblings. It was heartbreaking, and she tried to ensure through the CPS agency that the child might go to a good foster family somewhere.

"I do." Rebecca lowered the mic and her eyebrows rose. "I actually had an aunt living in another country at the time. She came back and my foster family let me live with her. I wanted to be a journalist because of my dad, I never thought I'd be sent out to report on one of your cases."

"I'm glad." Trina reached into her purse, shuffling for her wallet. When she found it, she removed it carefully and opened it up to where she could see the pocket holding a large amount of business cards. "Here, now really isn't the best place to converse, but please…"

She handed Rebecca the card with her number on it and started to smile. "Feel free to call me anytime. I would be happy to chat over lunch." Rebecca looked to the card and her hand started to shake. "Hold on." She removed a pen from her purse and turned the card over, writing her personal number down on the back. "This is my personal cell, just in case I'm out of the office."

"Thank you." Rebecca took the card back and pushed it carefully into her own purse. "This means a lot to me. You don't know the impact you've had, on me or on countless other victims and their families."

"I'm just glad I've made a difference at all." She moved her gaze back to her family and raised her shoulders. "My husband and kids are waiting on me, so I need to go. Like I said, feel free to phone, I would be more than happy to talk with you."

"Right, better in private than with a mob of reporters. I won't keep you any longer Mrs. Tyler."

"Call me Trina."

"Alright." With that, she gave a farewell nod and made her way out of the crowd with an aura of confidence. She was light on her feet and felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment.

Jason met her gaze with a tender smile, and Rachel raised her eyes from her phone. The love her husband and children had for her was great, and she was overjoyed in the pride they had for her. Still, all of this left her wondering if her parents or her sister could ever be proud of the things she'd done.

There was value in knowing she was helping people, she was bringing justice to those who needed it, and influencing people everywhere. Justice was what mattered to her, not the evident local town fame that came with her job.

They didn't live directly in San Francisco, but she still handled some cases near or in that town. They were in a smaller suburb town just outside the city, and there were not many prosecutors for her area. In that regard, she had the most success out of the prosecutors that were there. It earned her a little bit of fame around the town, more than she was interested in.

Still, she went for quality not quantity.

"There she is." Jason hugged her and she wrapped her arms around him with a tired sigh. "Town celeb by day, beautiful wife and mother by night." She leaned her head back and laughed.

"Funny. I'm a wife and mother twenty-four seven, dear." Jason chuckled and opened the car door for her. Trina glanced to her daughter and hummed. "Rachel, how long have you been glued to your phone?"

"She's been on that thing most of the day."

"Put it down and let's be a family." Rachel pushed her phone into her pocket with a sigh and entered into the backseat. Trina took her seat and brushed her hands through her hair.

The driver's side door closed and Jason leaned over, kissing her left temple. "Long day?"

"It isn't over yet." They were going to meet Beck and Jade at Mr. Sikowitz's home, where they'd sit down with Jason's parents for the first time in years. She wanted to observe and see how that went, so she could take some notes when it came to her own family.

A coy smile grew on her husband's face, and Jason hung his forearm sideways atop the steering wheel. "We can always go back home. We don't have to deal with my relatives yet." Trina opened her eyes and turned her attention to him. She knew what he was doing, trying to drag his feet on this matter, but it needed to be done.

"No," Michelle said from behind. "Bad Daddy, I want to see grandparents." Trina smirked and Jason exhaled then chuckled. As she looked back, she saw Rachel grinning from ear to ear while Shawn was holding his stomach and laughing.

"I'm not alone on that thinking," Rachel announced with a casual flair, "Sixteen years and I never met either pair of my grandparents. You've been holding out on us." Rachel pointed to Jason. "Dad's just stubborn, and I don't know what your case is, Mom."

"That's a long story," she replied. Trina reached over and pat Jason's cheek while widening her smirk. "The kids are right dear, there's no use running now. We're all in this together as a family."

"Right." Jason turned around and set his hands to the ten and two o'clock positions on the wheel. His shoulders rose and his chest expanded slowly. "I would rather be performing surgery right now."

"Just think, after this, we get to try and find my family." Trina set her elbow on the frame of the window and raised her hand up to her head. She looked out the window and smiled at the crowd still outside the courthouse. "I know the feeling though, I'd almost rather be in court."

"Yeah, I almost went in to get you out of that mob, but I saw you talking to someone so I didn't. Everything okay?"

"Yes. That reporter was the daughter of a victim I got justice for a long time ago." She dropped her hand and looked to Jason. "She seems to be doing well for herself now. I'm glad, but I'm also sorry for her. She's never known her family, aside from an aunt that found her. She didn't have a choice."

Jason started up the car and looked at the rearview mirror as he began to drive. Trina felt a sudden pang inside her chest and glanced at her kids through the mirror as well. Part of her felt like she'd denied her own children the right to know their family, or the extended family.

It wasn't the same way, and she had her reasons for staying away from them, but those reasons were all her own. "Who knows if they've changed," she whispered, "Who knows how different mom and dad are, or how Tori's like. I can't stand the thought that they wouldn't accept our kids, but I feel like our children deserve to know them."

"Yeah. We owe it to our kids to try." Jason swept his hand through his hair and sharpened his eyes on the road. "Going to be hard as hell. Nothing at all like facing down someone in court or prepping for surgery." He leaned his head to the right and glanced sideways at her. "I do hope your family will be accepting of you."

"They didn't accept me when I was living with them, Jason. I cut them off, I don't think they even realized they were doing anything wrong, so I don't know what they're going to think of me."

She heard Rachel chuckle and looked back to see the girl on her phone again. "I'm just surprised you don't know what Aunt Tori's been up to, mom. You're not the only one with some kind of 'celebrity' status. She was a pop singer for like ten years before I was born. Nobody's heard about her since 2022, apparently."

Her head jerked back and her eyelids fell halfway. "Why does that not surprise me?" Before Rachel was born, she was more concerned with focusing on her education and her relationship with Jason. Both of them kept away from their families and didn't bother focusing on what was going on in the celebrity world either, so she never bothered to look up her sister's name. "I never cared much for pop music anyway, dear, so I wouldn't know any of the pop icons around anymore. Especially not during the time before you were born."

"Ah. I guess that makes sense."

"So she's not even in the limelight anymore?" It was true that singers and actors eventually fizzled out. Singers and pop icons more so than any other type of celebrity. They were famous for a while, then another rising star came and overshadowed them until they were snuffed out like the flame of a candle.

"That's fame for you. You're only recognized for a little bit, then you're forgotten." She took a deep breath and shook her head as Jason let out a dry chuckle. "But that was what Tori chased after, she thought she'd have that fame forever."

"People will always remember the good you do Mom," Shawn said abruptly. Trina's eyes moved to the mirror and she raised an eyebrow at her son. He had a point, even in fifteen years that reporter still remembered her. "Even when you and dad retire, people are still going to remember you."

"We're not that old son," Jason laughed.

"I don't consider my job as being something I would associate with fame," Trina replied, "But if I impact people in some positive way, I'm glad."

* * *

Well of course her teenage daughter's going to know a little. What are your thoughts? Trina has truly built something for her family, and the fact that she's one of the considerations on the Mayor's table for next DA is a pretty big deal. She does have a little bit of fame, but it's not the same 'fame' that people associate with. Her recognition is obvious, it comes from the efforts and accomplishments she's done over the years in her career, she's changed lives and impacted people in ways that no singer or actor can do. Still, her hardest case yet is soon to come, and this is a battle to be fought outside the courthouse.


	3. The Husband's Family

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 3 (Jason's Family)

It was an hour drive to San Jose, where Jason's family had settled down. The drive consisted of Shawn and Michelle playing multiple games in the car, annoying their older sister, and threats to turn the car around and drive home. By the time they reached the home where Beck and Jade lived, everyone was exhausted.

"When we go to Los Angeles," Trina whispered in an exhausted whisper, "We are flying." Los Angeles was a six hour drive from San Francisco, and there was no guarantee her family was there anymore. "I'm surprised Beck and Jade live out here now."

The house was a simple one story flat with a large front yard that overlooked a shallow lake nearby. Beck and Jade were standing on the front porch, waving to the couple. "We're here, kids." She turned and watched Rachel shake Michelle awake as Shawn opened his door and jumped out of the car.

Trina left the car and walked around to the back side. Shawn had already pushed the second row seat forward to get out of the car, so all she had to do was reach back and lift her drowsy child from the seat.

Michelle mumbled incoherently and slid her tiny arms around her mother's neck. Trina wrapped her arms beneath the child as a perch and turned in time to see Shawn trying to walk across the side curb as though it were a balance beam.

Jade approached her and gently pat the child on the back. "She seems small for her age, Trina."

"She is. Michelle was born premature, so her developmental progress is slower than most." The average height for an eight year old girl was 50.5 inches, which was just a little over four feet. Michelle was just under four feet, between three and a half to the four foot mark. "We really have to be careful too, she's excitable like most children her age, but too much can hurt her."

The problem there was Michelle always emulated Shawn, following her older brother around everywhere he went. Shawn was adventurous and liked to act out from time to time, which made him a child with a high abundance of energy.

Too much excitement could damage Michelle's heart, so she couldn't be as active and do all the things her brother did. "Heart trouble runs in Jason's family as well…"

"Hey mom!" Shawn called out. Trina turned and watched her son point to a broken gap in the curb. "Do you think I can jump across that?"

"Shawn, get down from there before you hurt yourself." Shawn charged for the gap, laughing as he braced himself for the run. The three foot gap was combined with a pothole in the road right alongside it, which horrified Trina as she thought about her son falling into that and scraping himself up. "Shawn!"

Just as Shawn started to jump, a pair of arms swooped down and lifted the boy. "Now, now," Beck said while raising Shawn into the air. The boy's eyes were wide and his feet were slowly kicking in place as if he were still moving. "Can't have my nephew hurting himself now can we?"

Trina sighed and Jade brought her hands to her hips. "Beck, how many times have I told you to call someone to fix that?" Beck flashed a cheesy grin and started for the house. Jade shook her head and motioned for Trina to follow.

She heard Jason and Rachel behind and listened eagerly as he asked a question that she'd been wondering about herself. "How did you manage to meet your cousin when he lives an hour away? This mutual friend of yours must have known Kevin from here?"

"Yes dad. My friend lived in San Jose for a few years before his family got transferred to San Francisco. They kept in touch online."

"I see. This friend of yours is a boy?"

"Yes. I met him at school."

"Have we met this boy?"

Trina looked over her shoulder and looked curiously at her daughter. Rachel pushed her hands into her pockets and shrugged.

"No. Most of my guy friends are intimidated by you and mom." Rachel rolled her head in a circle and ran her hand over her neck. "So I don't bring them to the house."

"We'd certainly appreciate if you did," Trina remarked, "We'd like to meet your friends." Rachel shrugged. Jade held open the front door for the family while Beck set Shawn down on the ground. "How did your friend know you and Kevin were cousins?"

"He didn't," someone answered. A tall sixteen year old boy with short brown hair and olive-tanned skin approached them. He was thin and had freckles dotting around his eyes to look like a masquerade mask. "Grandma and Grandpa said I had an uncle living in San Francisco, and I was talking to Ryan about it when I mentioned Uncle Jason's name. Ryan knew Rachel, so he said he could introduce us."

Beck pat his son's back. "Our son decided to take my car and drive out to San Francisco by himself to meet Rachel first." Trina hummed and watched the boy laugh sheepishly. "We would have grounded him for it, but considering the circumstances…"

A ten year old girl with waist length brown hair came running into the room. It was their youngest, Katie. "Finally you're here!" Katie said excitedly. Trina felt a shifting sensation and glanced down to see Michelle raising her head from her shoulder.

Michelle blinked multiple times and then looked at the ground. "Katie? Momma, let me play with Katie." She smiled and set her daughter down. The two girls hugged and left the room with Katie declaring that she wanted to play dolls with her.

Shawn bounced on his feet and looked around the house, groaning over boredom. Beck crouched down and motioned to the back door. "We have a fort out back, if you're looking for something to do." Shawn's eyes grew in excitement and he asked his dad for permission to play out back. When Jason gave the okay, Shawn bolted like a bat out of hell for the door.

Kevin snapped his fingers and motioned to the room he came from. "Grandma, Grandpa, and Grand Uncle Erwin are waiting in the kitchen." Trina put her hand to Jason's shoulder and watched him take a deep breath.

They walked into the kitchen and Trina spotted Mr. Sikowitz first. His hair was much more trimmed than it was twenty-five years ago and had grown white. His face was covered in wrinkles and his once large scruffy beard was now a neat trim.

Beside him at the table was his sister, Pam. Her silver hair was up in curls and her lips had small cracks extending from them. Crow's feet extended from her eyes, and her cheeks resembled a sack of coins. Next to her was her husband, Henry, who looked similar to Sikowitz but with a full head of white hair and clean shaven.

Pam stood up first, cupping her hands over the center of her chest and looking at Jason with misty eyes. "Jason," she breathed, "Honey." Jason walked towards the chair across from the elders and placed a heavy, trembling hand to the top of the back.

"Mom. Dad. Uncle Erwin…" He smiled politely and his eyes searched them. "It's been some time. My kids are playing with their cousins until we finish our talk, I suppose." Rachel and Kevin entered the room with Kevin's parents and sat down at the sides of the table. With Jade and Beck on Sikowitz's side of the table, and the kids on Henry's side.

Sikowitz pointed up to Trina and spoke with a soft tone. "I never knew you married Miss Vega. We knew when you were married, but that's about it…" Jason sat down and Trina moved behind him, setting her hands at the top of the wooden chair and curling her fingers around the top bar.

"Our wedding was small, Uncle. We didn't want an extravagant ceremony and neither of us invited the family. You know my reason, you don't know Trina's, but I suppose that's not important for us." Jason leaned forward, setting his forearms on the table and clasping his hands together. "I was stubborn. Angry. At the time I couldn't understand why you would want anything to do with the kid born out of Dad's affair."

Jason unfolded his hand and glanced at Beck. "Being older, having three kids of my own, I understand now what I didn't get then." Trina looked to Jason's parents and her eyes fell to their hands, which were clasped on the table between the two of them. "Mom forgave Dad, the two of you eventually remarried. I was still angry, at all of you, even at Beck. I didn't understand what makes a family, not back then."

Jason sat upright. His back pushed into the back of the chair and his hands unfolded and slid along the table. "I know it's been a long time, but I do want to start again. To get back on track. I am sorry that I judged you all, and in my anger I just left you behind."

"You are right," Henry replied with a calm voice, "Family does forgive. Your mom and I, and your uncle have waited this long for you to come back to us." The man smiled at him and nodded. "I understand why you were angry, we all do. We're just hoping we can start over, all of us, as a family."

"Truth be told it's good timing," Jade said above the others. "I've been offered a job in San Francisco. Beck teaches at the high school level, and it's summertime, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to find a job there…and we've all been discussing the possibility of relocating. It wouldn't be difficult."

Trina's heart leapt up and she looked towards the three elders. "Not difficult at all," Sikowitz responded. "We're retired, I live with Beck and his family here, and my sister's willing and able to move anywhere."

"It would be nice to have you all there." Jason brought his hand to his chin and hummed contemplatively. "Katrina and I cannot relocate, our careers avoid that luxury."

"So we will consider relocating over the summer. To be closer to family." Sikowitz paused and the minute his eyes moved towards Trina, she felt a sense of sadness overtake her. "Speaking of…Trina, I understand you left them behind. I don't know the story, but…"

"I couldn't tell you where they are or what they've been doing," she replied. "I left because of a number of things. I'd like to find them, to try and get in touch with them. If anything, for the kids. They deserve to know their grandparents on my side and their aunt."

"You know we're happy to accept you and your children." Sikowitz turned his head towards the window, smiling as he watched Shawn climb the fort outside. "My sister and brother in law are certainly thrilled to meet all of their grandchildren."

Pam laughed with glee and her palm rose up as her five fingers extended. "Five grandchildren, and five chances to finally spoil my grandkids." Trina chuckled nervously and pulled out the chair next to Jason.

"I'd love to know more about you all." She sat down and her eyes lit up with interest as her daughter nodded and agreed. "It'll be great to get to know more about you-even you, Mr. Sikowitz."

Sikowitz laughed happily and pulled his hand to his chest. "Of course, I'm happy to share some stories with you and with the children." The man's lip tilted up and he leaned forward, slowly bringing his hands together above the table. "Do you know the story of how our parents came to be?" She raised her eyebrows and Rachel grinned.

"Tell the story Uncle Erwin." Rachel's voice was full of intrigue, which amazed Trina to no end. It wasn't often her daughter took a great deal of interest in things such as this, but then, Sikowitz was a 'new' relative.

Pam looked to her brother with a sigh and swept her hand through her silver curls. "Erwin loves to tell the story." The woman rubbed her brother on the shoulder and Sikowitz cleared his throat.

"Well, as I'm sure Jason has told you my our father was Polish and our mother German." It was an interesting combination considering the time that Jason's grandparents were alive; World War Two. "Aron and his family were prisoners in one of the many camps, he was just a young child at the time. Hilda was the daughter of a German soldier there, and the two met."

Jade pulled her hand over her mouth and Trina let out an astonished gasp. Even Jason looked surprised, though he never told her the story so he likely didn't know how his grandparents actually met. After all, Aron and Hilda never left Germany. It was Erwin and Pam that left, with a taste for American shores.

Sikowitz's lips vibrated and his eyes squinted. "I believe my mother's father sympathized but only followed orders, but the man would have had to know his daughter was spending time with our father. She would go to see him, taking bread and water as gifts. Eventually in '45 English soldiers arrived at the camp, and Hilda led them straight to Aron."

"So what happened after that?" Beck inquired. "Aron and Hilda were just children, right?"

"Yes. Aron would have been nine, and Hilda was just two years younger. They remained fast friends for the next twelve years, and then married when they were old enough." Sikowitz reached around Pam's shoulders and flashed a toothy grin. "I was born in '59, and my dear sister in '64."

Trina scrunched her nose and looked from Pam to Henry. "You said your parents never left Germany. How did the two of you meet Henry, and when did you guys arrive in America?"

"We wanted something more. We heard stories of America and wanted to be there, and of course Germany wasn't in the best shape at the time. So in '79, I left for America…My little sister couldn't resist tagging along." Pam laughed joyously and Henry squeezed her hand.

"A good thing too because we might never have met," Henry explained. Trina smiled at the man. He took a breath as his wife placed her head on his shoulder. "My father was part of the English Royal Navy, and my mother was from a Russian family that moved to England in the 1950s. She started working for the military and met my father around the same time. The two of them fell madly in love and were married, they moved to America and obtained citizenship a year before I was born."

"How did you and Pam meet?"

"A college history class, of all things." She was curious also how the man came upon meeting Beck's mother, but that wasn't something she felt was an appropriate question. Everyone present likely knew what happened, save for herself and possibly Jade, so there was no reason to bother bringing that up.

"What about the two of you?" Pam asked of Trina and Jason. "I don't suppose you met through my brother?" Jason shook his head and Trina chuckled.

"We met at a camp, initially." She pulled her hair over her shoulder and a looked at Jason. "We fell in love there, got separated and found each other again when Cat wound up dragging him back to my house. I thought the two were an item."

"I wasn't interested in ditzy redheads," Jason said with a grunt. Jade and Beck smirked as he turned his eyes onto Trina. "I was more interested in a knockout brunette that I was trying to find." Her cheeks flared up and she quickly cleared her throat.

"We managed to talk online while he was in San Francisco. I wound up taking classes there online my first year, then moved into his apartment the second year."

"I remember that," Sikowitz interrupted, "I remember Jason saying his girlfriend was moving in with him. I can't believe I didn't put two and two together, but Tori never said anything aside from your leaving."

"Right." She folded her hands on the table and her eyes slid down to them. "Speaking of Tori. I was wondering if maybe you knew anything about what my family was doing, Mr. Sikowitz. I kind of want to try and see if they'll accept my kids into their lives."

It was more for her kids than for herself, but even then she didn't know if she'd be able to get a response.

Sikowitz furrowed his brow and his lips tightened together. "I…can't say. Once your sister graduated, I didn't hear anything more from her or her family. I do know that a talent coach found her a year after graduation. She was a singer for a little while, I believe, but that's all I know."

"So nothing about my parents?"

"I'm sorry Trina, I wish I could help you." Sikowitz leaned back and crossed his arms. His eyes sharpened and darted over to Beck and Jade. "Honestly I do remember the way Beck and Jade spoke of your family, they paint a toxic picture. I don't know why, you knowing how your family was, that you would even begin to want to go back to them."

"I feel like my children deserve to know who their grandparents are and who their aunt is." Rachel smiled at her while Sikowitz shook his head. Pam looked at her with concern and raised her hand slightly to hover over the table.

"Don't forget that no matter what, you have us." She smiled graciously at Pam and closed her eyes. "If your family wants nothing to do with you or your children, they do still have us."

"I appreciate that. Still, I have to try."

"We'll be with you," Jade said aloud, "I don't think you should try and get in touch with them on your own." Trina squinted as Jade leaned back. "I remember Tori was pretty angry when you left. She said you were ungrateful and didn't realize how good you had it since your parents were letting you stay there."

"Ungrateful?" She brought her hand to her chest, gasping once. " _I_ was ungrateful? After all that I put up-I'm not even angry with them anymore. I just want my children to have some sort of relationship with them."

"Then Beck and I will be there. If Tori still has any grudges, then maybe we can try and smooth things over." While possible, Trina knew it wouldn't be that simple. Tori never had to deal with Jade siding with Trina on anything. "As for your parents, I don't know. Your dad might be willing to accept you."

"Her father?" Beck chortled and smacked his hand on the table. "The man responsible for her leaving, to the point he may have thrown her out the door himself? The man that wasn't even _joking_ when he asked that she go far away?" Trina winced and the others shook their heads with dismay. "Why on earth would he be so quick to accept her back?"

"Maybe because when he was divorced by Holly, he had no family left. She left him for that cop guy, remember? Tori didn't want anything to do with her dad either, if I remember right, so he's probably been on his own…maybe he's changed his opinion on some things."

"We'll see…"

* * *

What do you guys think? Interesting family history and whatnot.


	4. Never Give Up

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 4 (Never Give Up)

On the patio of a café in San Francisco, Trina sat down with Rebecca Wilson. "So you're young for a reporter." She raised up her margarita and peered to the glass of water in front of the girl. "Considering you were five years old in 2025…" Rebecca let out a nervous laugh and gripped the glass tightly in her right hand.

"Yeah, I'm twenty. The thing is I'm on the college media. I really wanted to see you the other day so they said I could cover that case." It wasn't all that surprising, though the microphone the girl had back then didn't bear any station, so she should have known she wasn't a part of any televised news team.

"I'm just surprised I didn't catch it then." Trina sipped her margarita and closed her eyes as Rebecca pulled her long brown hair up into a ponytail. She couldn't help but to sense a familiarity about the child, the same one that drew her to the case with a greater deal of strength all those years ago.

Rachel's hair was curly, she had high cheekbones and a plump smile. She had wire framed glasses that rested atop her long and slender nose. Even now she looked nothing like her father, Brad.

Mr. Wilson had lighter colored hair that was short and straight. His face wasn't as slender as hers and was more block shaped than his daughter's. His nose had been more snub-nosed and he had incredibly thin lips.

"Can I say something, Rebecca?" Rebecca's eyes lit up and she leaned forward, nodding feverishly. Trina set her glass down carefully and folded her forearm on the table's surface. "Seeing you now, you look nothing like what I remember your father looking like. It's uncanny, but even back then I thought it was startling."

"Oh." Rebecca glanced sideways and ran her hand along the back of her neck. "I can tell you why that is" The girl raised her shoulders and dropped her hand to her lap. "My aunt told me recently that he wasn't my real father." Her jaw fell open and she shut it as quickly as she could.

"I'm sorry, come again?"

"He was not my dad." Rebecca crossed her arms and shut her eyes. "I don't know who my dad is and I don't know who my mom is. My aunt told me Dad received me just days after I was born. My mother apparently didn't want me."

She bit her tongue and breathed in as the wind blew across her face. The silence grew as Trina tried to think of what she could say, but nothing in her head sounded like it would be enough to make Rebecca feel right.

"I'm truly sorry Rebecca."

"Aunt Amy says she's pretty sure she has it written down somewhere in her files but she's been looking and hasn't had much luck."

"Well don't give up. If you want to find your real parents, don't give up." Impossible tasks were rarely impossible, they just required extra hard work. "Nothing is really impossible if you think about it." Rebecca raised her head and pursed her lips. "After all, I'm trying to get back in touch with my own family after twenty-five years."

Rebecca's eyes widened and her voice fell to a hushed whisper. "Wow." The girl released her glass of water and tilted her head. "Why so long?" Trina turned fully towards Rebecca and looked into the girl's eyes.

"Well they didn't want me at the time, so I left. Now that I have children, I think my kids deserve to get to know them." Rebecca's eyebrows rose and her lips spread apart into a small oval.

"That's a little generous of you, I think. I mean, you say they didn't want you then?"

"My husband and his family have their doubts too, but I'd hate to leave things unsaid." She wouldn't give up either. She was fairly certain it wasn't going to be easy, not at all like Jason's family, and she was preparing for the worst while keeping up the hope that she could reach them. "If I don't try, my kids grow up resenting the fact that they never knew family on my side and that I didn't try. If I do try, there is that chance my family never wants anything to do with us, but that slight chance that they will."

Rebecca squinted her right eye and her lips slickened into a smile. "You're going for the impossible?" Trina wagged her brows and her mouth slid into a broad smirk. There was no doubt in her mind that she could shoot for and achieve the impossible. After all, she'd become a master at pleading her case.

"I've made cold hard criminals break down and cry in the middle of a courtroom. I've obtained guilty verdicts from circumstantial cases that other attorneys thought couldn't be done." She pressed her fingers on the stem of her glass and swept the inside of her lips with the tip of her tongue.

"I'm not saying that I can do the impossible, I'm not saying that it's easy, but I've never given up on anything in my life and I'm not about to start now."

"That's inspiring."

"Just remember never to give up when you set your mind to something. The world can be against you, all the odds will be stacked against you, but if you keep trying you may make it." The saying was true that said those successful in life never gave up, but also was true that those successful in life had failed multiple times.

"If I can give you any advice Rebecca…" She leaned forward and tapped her right temple with her finger. "Set your mind to something and know that you will fail the first time." Rebecca tilted her head and Trina started to smile. "You may even fail the second time, but if you keep trying and learn from the mistakes you've made, you will eventually make it. Nobody ever succeeded from being a first time success."

"Even you, Trina?"

"I said your father's killer was my first guilty verdict…" Trina crossed her arms and sat upright. "That case was perhaps within the first ten cases I had. I just wasn't getting it right, and I couldn't figure it out until I took a long hard look at how I was presenting the cases. I studied some more, even talked to some of my mentors."

"And then you got the hardest case of your career, right?" Rebecca smirked and Trina threw her head back with a laugh.

"Yes. There wasn't much to go on. I studied your father's case as much as I could, trying to figure out what I could use and how I could present it. I wasn't going to quit." She tapped her nails on the table and watched as Rebecca swayed to the right. Her voice quieted and her eyes fell halfway "And I certainly wasn't going to give up on a five year old child that witnessed her father's murder."

"I'm glad you didn't. I mean, they never found the murder weapon, right?"

"Right. All they had was the fact that Anton had a receipt for the purchase of a gun that could have fired those bullets and your statement, along with the brief history your father had with the man."

Rebecca ran her hand over her arm and tucked her lower lip beneath her teeth. "My dad took a photo of him committing another crime, if I remember." Trina nodded slowly and let her mind drift away to the case.

Part of the case's closure in determining the guilty verdict had taken place during her cross-examination of a question. She asked Anton a question regarding the crime scene and he said something about where Rebecca had been hiding and what she was wearing, thereby tipping off to the courtroom that he had in fact been present at the time of the murder when no one else was.

The minute he said that was the first time Trina felt the rush of relief and weight falling from her shoulders. The true relief, however, came from the verdict being delivered after just thirty minutes of deliberation

"The point is, don't ever give up. If you want to find your real parents, look for them and keep trying. You might struggle a few times, but you'll get them." Rebecca swept a strand of curly hair from in front of her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I hope so. I don't like feeling like I'm alone."

"No one likes that feeling." She reached over and set her hand over Rebecca's, smiling gently. "You're never alone though, alright? Also, I'm just a phone call away." Rebecca took a deep breath and brought her glass of water to her lips.

The girl tilted her head back and swallowed several large gulps of the drink before lowering it away. "How old were you? When you left your family behind?" Trina sank a bit in her chair and lowered her hands into her lap.

"Nineteen. Almost nineteen, anyway. I moved in with my husband around then, we were dating at the time of course. We didn't marry until I was twenty-three. By that time I had a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and he received a master's degree in medicine."

"Was it hard?" She smacked her lips and lowered her gaze as a nervous sensation grew within her.

"Very difficult. Jason and I both had to get a job and get an apartment off campus during those first few years. Our lives consisted of nothing but studying day in and day out. We had little time for social activity outside of work and school." She rolled her head to the right and breathed in slowly.

"I suppose his being two years older than I am was a very good thing. He already had an associate's degree and was a year away from getting his bachelor's when I had to move in with him."

There were times where she thought things weren't going to work. Many times she'd gotten so stressed out that she just wanted to throw in the towel and give up for good. "We made it work. With the world against us, we made it."

"That's great. I really hope things keep working out." Rebecca released a sigh and her left fingertips tapped the table slowly. "You're flying out to LA later?"

"Yes. I'm going to see if maybe my family's still at the old house. I don't know if they are still there or not, but it's a start." She grabbed her purse from the ground and pulled the strap up along her arm. "I wish you the best of luck too. If you ever need any help, call me and I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"I will. Thank you."

A few hours later on the plane, Trina sat with her daughter to her right. Even now, Rachel was glued to her phone. Trina leaned over to try and see what her daughter felt was so important. "What are you doing on that phone, Rachel?" Rachel lifted her eyes and shrugged.

"I'm searching about Aunt Tori. She was a singer once, so there's bound to be information out about her." Her eyebrow rose and a chuckle dropped from her lips.

"Not a bad idea." She didn't see how it would help her locate the girl, but at the very least she'd learn some more information. "I'm still thinking about my talk with Rebecca over lunch. You know she's dealing with family stuff as well."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Well, I hope her stuff is worked out too." Rachel's thumb slid across the screen and her eyes focused on the screen. "By the way, this might interest you." Trina looked out the plane window and watched the large puffs of clouds roll beneath them.

"It might interest you to get away from your phone for a change, dear."

Rachel rolled her eyes and set her phone down on her left leg. "Right mom. I'm looking up information about Aunt Tori and you want me to put the phone down." She looked back to her daughter and mustered a tiny smile.

"It can wait, sweetie. It isn't often we spend time together, and when was the last time you were on a plane before?"

"Never." Rachel leaned over and looked out the window. The teenager started to smile and her body relaxed. "I'll admit it is nice."

"See? You miss a lot with that nose glued to your phone."

"Yeah, I guess so." Trina pushed her hands through the lower part of her hair, fluffing it out over her shoulders as Rachel leaned back and picked up her phone. "So, you're not interested in learning about Aunt Tori's fame life?"

"I am." She dropped her hands and glanced at the phone. "I just wanted you to take a minute to enjoy the plane. Did you find anything interesting out?"

"Yeah, Aunt Tori never made the top ten on any billboards. Her songs really weren't that great, but then, she sang a lot of covers."

"At least she tried."

"It all went downhill though." Rachel swept her thumb up on the screen and Trina watched the words slide upwards. "Apparently she just stopped making songs when she and an 'unidentified friend' got really drunk at a party." Trina leaned over her daughter's shoulder and her eyes widened on a photo of Tori.

Tori looked very angry in the picture and was glaring at the paparazzi shooting the picture. Her designer purse was hanging from her left shoulder, with the strap halfway down her upper arm. Her abdomen was protruding as though she with child.

"Was she pregnant?"

"According to this article she was, but never mentioned who the father was." Rachel swept her hair over her ear and frowned. "Anyway, Aunt Tori sang at a few places for a couple more years after that and just faded away."

"Maybe she just gave up the dream…"

"You said it yourself before, mom. Singers don't really stay in the spotlight for long, and when they leave, someone always takes their place and then they're forgotten. Aunt Tori's a nobody now in the world of pop icons-the only people that care about her are fans from back then."

"Such a shame." At least it made Tori less intimidating than it might be if the girl were still famous. "Let's just hope she's willing to talk, wherever she is."

She didn't like calling her sister a 'nobody' or a has-been, but it sounded like it was the truth. Where once she had been someone and Trina had been the 'nobody', she was now someone when her sister evidently faded into the darkness.

* * *

Thoughts and observations reading this chapter?


	5. The Long Shot

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 5 (The Long Shot)

She stood before her former home with Beck and Jade on either side of her. Her children remained in the car with Jason, in accordance to her wishes just in case the family told her to get lost.

The memories that hit her came like a tornado storm, with the negative and positive swirling about her and sucking the air from her lungs. "I've faced countless murderers, rapists, thieves…" She moved her hand towards the center of her collarbone and cleared her throat. Her heart was screaming inside her and every part of her was ready to turn tail and leave. "None of them affected me as much as standing in front of this…hell house."

 _"You're leaving?" Holly asked while scowling at the girl. "Good riddance then, who needs someone willing to abandon their family?"_

Her brow furrowed and her forehead tensed up as the thought left her mind. How could Holly accuse her of abandonment when she had done the same thing with Gary.

 _"Is it because you think you're in my shadow?" Asked the nonchalant teenager sitting before her. Tori's elbow was perched on the top of the couch with her forearm and hand bent against the side of her head. "You stand a better chance of really being someone if you stay, at least I know some people that can make you into someone."_

Trina's lower lip tucked beneath her teeth and her fingers curled around the flaps of her blazer. "I am a professional woman. I stand for what's right, people recognize that. I don't need to prove myself or measure my importance based on popularity."

 _"Let go!" She pushed Beck away and ran towards the bottom of the stairs, screaming for her father. Andre, Beck and Robbie flew behind the couch and she stared back with wide eyes as her father sauntered down the first half of the steps. "Dad, they're scaring me. They're yelling, fighting, and Beck grabbed my wrist."_

 _Three puppets shot up from behind the couch and the boys raised themselves up, laughing obnoxiously. "I don't know what she's going on about sir," Beck said with a smirk. Her heart stopped and her body slouched as a painful sensation shot through her. "We're just having a puppet show, trying to teach her a lesson."_

 _"Teach me-" Her chest began tightening and she looked to her father with a whimper as the memories of her ex throwing her around stung her brain and drew tears from her eyes. "Daddy please."_

 _David rolled his eyes and turned them onto her. "God Trina, why do you always have to start something?" She gasped out and her hands cupped over her chest, closing around the throbbing sensation coming from her heart. Beck and the boys frowned instantly and looked towards her with a strange and sudden bit of concern. "Please, whenever you decide to go off to college, go far away."_

 _A whimper fell from her lips and she watched her dad retreat back upstairs._

She gasped out and her eyes shot open. "God…Thank god Jason is a better father to our children." She felt someone touch her back and nearly jumped out of her suit as a result. She looked to Jade and saw the girl's calm, reassuring smile.

"Maybe everyone's right, Trina. Maybe it's not worth it."

"No." She closed her fists and started for the door. "I set myself on this, I'm going to see it through. They don't have to accept me, I just want them to accept my children."

 _"I can't do this," Trina screamed. Her textbook flew against the wall with a violent crash and her hands shot to the sides of her head. "It's too much. I should just go back, I should just give up."_

 _Jason walked up beside her, his gentle hand caressed the tops of her shoulders, easing the tension in them. "Take a deep breath." His voice soothed the screaming in her ears, and his gentle smile was easy on her eyes. "You've tried so hard, too hard to give up now."_

 _"I'm a failure. I'm nobody important, just a fool trying to get somewhere out of reach."_

 _"Nothing's out of reach." He sat in front of her, keeping his hand at her shoulder and his eyes with hers. "Trina, you made nearly all A's last semester, that one B was just a few points short of an A. You're doing great this semester. You've got a goal in mind, you can do this, and I'm right here beside you."_

 _She pulled away from him and walked to the fallen textbook, grabbing it up with a sigh. "I've just been really stressed lately. I'm sorry. I can't stop thinking about them…it's been a year since I left, and everything they said about me, everything they said to me. Jason, I-"_

 _"They were holding you back, forcing you into the shadows. You're free now, so rise up and accomplish the dreams you have."_

 _"I wish they would have accepted me before. They said I would never be anything. I guess I was crazy, I guess I was obscene, I just wanted them to notice me. I just wanted them to like me, to accept me, to…"_

 _"Who cares what they think?" She raised her eyebrows and turned as he approached her. "What matters is what you think about yourself." His hands rose to her upper arms. She bowed her head and leaned her body forward, setting her forehead on his chest. "Don't let the past make you doubt yourself. Those are only going to hold you back from being the person I know you can be. Don't give up now, you're not someone who gives up."_

 _"I gave up on them when I left."_

 _"There's being optimistic and there's being realistic. You don't give up on something you know you can accomplish, do you know that you could have gotten from them what you hoped for before you left?"_

 _"No…"_

Maybe things had changed, or so she was hoping. She saw the potential, she knew there had to be some acceptance left in her family for her own. "Here goes." She breathed in sharp and held onto the breath as she raised her handto knock on the door.

Beck walked up behind her and she listened to his mutterings. "Am I the only one uncomfortable being back here?"

"No," Jade whispered back to him. "It isn't easy for any of us." Trina released her breath and braced herself when she heard the deadbolt of the front door clicking off.

When it opened up, she saw an older man with sagging jowls and a bald head. He was short and hunched over, and his pale blue eyes bore into her. "Yes?" The man asked with a crackling voice.

This wasn't her father. The shock and relief set in, but with it came embarrassment. "I apologize," Trina started, "My family lived here several years ago and we've lost contact. I was checking to see if they were still here." The man's eyebrows rose and he chuckled.

"I see." He leaned against the cane in his left hand and brought his right to his chest. "I purchased the home from its former owner about five years back." Her heart sipped and hope filled her for the moment. "A young military family that transferred out, would those be your folks?"

In an instant that hope she felt was diminished. Jade and Beck exchanged sorrowful glances and she bowed her head. "No sir." She raised her gaze back to the man, hoping now that he knew anything about the people before the military family. "How long did they live here, do you know? Maybe they told you something about the people that lived here before them."

"I don't believe so." The man scratched behind his ear and twisted around as an elderly woman approached the door. "Honey, what do you know about the people that rented the house before us? How long were they here?" The woman extended her frail hand to her husband's shoulder and peered out at Trina.

"Oh, I think they moved in around what?" The woman pat her fingers on her thin lips and squinted her eyes. "2014 or 15. Maybe it was 2016. This is a rented property, the owner of the home said the former tenant left it, I believe. Just a lonely old man, if I recall correctly."

"Is this helpful?"

It was discouraging but at the very least it was something. She dipped her fingers into the pockets of her black slacks and curled her thumbs over them. "Yes, I appreciate your help and I apologize if I've taken up your time." The elderly lady laughed and waved her hand in the air.

"Oh dear, no worries. In fact, I've just made some tea. I would be happy to offer you some." Trina sucked her lips in and peered into the home, wincing inwardly as the rush of memories ravaged her.

"No thank you, I'd better not. I appreciate the offer, though." She turned around and stepped off the porch. Her hand pulled her hair away from her right eye and her shoulders dropped with a huff.

Jason stepped out of the car and walked towards her, meeting them halfway. "What happened?" He asked. She shook her head and Beck told Jason it wasn't the Vega family.

"Apparently the house has traded hands over the last few years," Jade remarked. "A 'lonely old man' gave the house to a military family and now the house belongs to a friendly old couple. They know nothing about Trina's family."

"It was a long shot to begin with." Trina raised her hands up and blew out suddenly. Even longer was the alternative; she could see if any of her grandparents were still alive. Most of Jason's grandparents were deceased; only living into their mid-eighties, but the people in her family had tendencies to exceed that and live much longer lives.

One of her relatives made it to one hundred and five years, so there was a slight possibility that her grandparents might still be around to know what became of her family.

"It's another long shot, but there is a chance one of my grandparents are still with us." Jason raised an eyebrow and Trina swept her hands out. "At the youngest, I have a grandma that would be 97 if she were still alive. The oldest? Grandpa Giovanni would be about 102."

"Or, our daughter suggested finding one of the former agents that worked with Tori and trying to get them to figure out anything."

That was less likely to work, considering how many years Tori had been out of business. Her agents likely had nothing to do with her.

"It's a long shot either way." She approached the rental car and turned towards the others. Her lips thinned against each other and her chest expanded out. "This is important to me, and I know no one thinks this is worthwhile, but I'm glad that I have your support regardless."

Jason chuckled and gently kissed her forehead. "You're my wife, I'm going to support you no matter what."

Jade laughed as Beck made his way to the car. "We're family now," the woman stated, "And now we're in this with you. If that means chasing a ghost halfway across the world, then we're going halfway across the world." A faint smile swept across Trina's face as her heart pulsed.

Their support meant a great deal to her. This wasn't something she could do alone, so she needed them to be there with her. Even Rachel was with them, despite Trina's wish that the girl stay home.

She didn't want her kids to be present if her family turned them away. The pain from that rejection faded from her some time ago, but she never forgot it, and she didn't wish that pain on her children. So while she was doing this for her children, she would do anything to protect them, even if that meant ensuring they weren't present when she met her family again for the first time.

She was going to get her family's approval first and foremost, then once she was confident they wanted to know her children, she'd bring them to them.

Their next stop was Sacramento, California, where she knew her grandparents George and Isabel Vega lived a long time ago. Her mother's parents, Giovanni and Patty, died in 2029 and 2030 respectively.

The house was small and wooden, with cracks all about it. There was a gated fence surrounding the area, and she could hear the sounds of a shovel striking concrete behind the house.

If George were still alive, he would be 98 years old. Trina remembered him as she did her father, strong and fit like a well-oiled machine. The man was built like an ox, strong as a horse, and kept himself in top shape. So it wasn't a surprise that out of any of her grandparents, this was the man that would still be kicking at this age.

"My dad's family comes from a long line of hard workers." She glanced over her shoulder at Jason and started to smile. Jade and Beck walked behind him, both looking off to the gated fence. "Farmers, sailors, military men. You name it, my Spanish line probably has the most colorful and strongest blood in it."

"Spanish line?" Jade's eyes darted back and she hummed in surprise. "What other bloodlines come from your family?" Trina stepped onto the porch and glanced at the swinging bench hanging beside them.

"George is from Spain, Isabel is from Latin America. There _is_ a difference." She snapped her fingers and raised them to her chin. "Grandpa Giovanni is Italian while Grandma Patty was Irish. All strong bloodlines full of great people with long lives and hard work."

"Passionate too," Jason said with a smirk. Trina smiled at him and rolled her eyes.

"That too." She knocked on the door just as the gated fence slid open. When she turned to look she saw a much older man stepping out. He had a slight hump in his back, a full head of white hair, and a narrow face. He wore denim overalls, a red plaid shirt and gardening gloves. "Grandpa?"

The man turned his eyes up to her and his voice shook as he spoke. "Katrina, that you? How long has it been? Ah if only Isabel were still with us, she missed you terribly."

Her heart sank and just as she was about to step off the porch, she heard a clattering sound from the other side of the front door. Her eyes moved towards it and she watched with baited breath as it slid open.

If Isabel was no longer here, then who else was living with her grandfather?

A man in his late seventies stepped into view, standing tall. His broad shoulders were like mountains and his big arms were bent with his hands at his waist. He had a full head of silver hair that hung over his wrinkled forehead. His dark eyes shot out at her and deep frown lines framed his lips.

The moment she made eye contact with him, she knew the man. Her breath stilled and her heart stopped. "Dad." The word rolled from her lips with a single breath. His tired and squinted eyes narrowed further and his eyebrows came together like two small storm clouds fusing into one.

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts as you read through the chapter? Also, looks like we see David, how do you think he's going to react? What are your expectations?


	6. Stubborn Pride

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 6 (Stubborn Pride)

Jason, Rachel, Beck and Jade filed into the house before Trina, and all the while David remained silent with his eyes forever staring at his granddaughter. Rachel, much to Trina's surprise, had put away the phone and was now looking over both her grandfather and great grandfather.

As for the home, it looked just as Trina pictured the inside to look when an elderly father and son lived by themselves. The interior was a box, with a rectangular living room with the front door in the middle. On the left was a couch propped up against the three windows behind it, and a television directly in front.

On the right was a white brick fireplace pressed against the right side wall, and two recliners; one on either side of the fireplace. Above the fireplace was a portrait of George and Isabela, and the shelf right beneath the portrait had framed photos of the family. Also on the right side was a blue couch with several magazines on the right end cushion.

As for the left side wall, there was a glass paned door between the television and vanilla couch which lead into a bedroom.

Trina could see in enough to see a door on the other end of the bedroom that led into a small hallway with a bedroom on the other side. "Can I use the restroom?" She asked, curious to see the rest of the house. Part of this was to give her father and grandfather an opportunity to know the others without her being present.

George nodded and pointed to the archway in the wall directly in front of them. She thanked him and walked through, stopping to note the small, square room. There was a dining table directly to her left, and approximately six wicker chairs surrounding it. A long brass light hung over it. Also on her right and facing the table was a small wooden piano and bench, but it was cluttered with papers.

On the left was a faded blue sofa chair nestled before a stereo equipment. Behind the chair was another archway leading into the hallway, and in front of her was an archway that led into the kitchen.

She approached the kitchen and gently set her hand on the frame of the archway while leaning in. The linoleum on the floor was worn and yellowed. There were two refrigerators, one in front and one to her right.

A long countertop rested against the right wall, with a steel sink and faucet nestled in front of a small window overlooking the driveway. The kitchen continued to an alcove that included a washer and dryer, the door into the back yard, and several pantry shelves.

When she glanced out the back door, she was amazed by the extensive yard. The two had tomato plants, vegetables, fruit trees, and many other things growing in their own patches outside. She could also see a stone walkway leading out to a small tool shed.

She made her way back to the living room after using the restroom, and to her dismay everyone was scattered about. David had taken to sitting at the dining table and had his face stuffed deep into a newspaper. Jason was standing at the fireplace, looking at a framed photograph of two young girls; herself and Tori.

Beck and Jade were sitting on the vanilla couch, and Rachel was on the blue couch with George. Rachel looked up with wide eyes and spoke quickly, catching everyone's attention. "Mom. Great Granddad was just telling me about his granndfather, who lived to be 105 years old. That is amazing!"

Trina chuckled softly and approached the couch. "We've had a few people on my side of the family reach the hundred year mark. Looks like Grandpa's got two more years." George leaned back and laughed jovially.

"I intend on being the longest living member of the Vega clan," he replied. "Once I beat my grandfather's record." Raul Vega was born in 1899 and passed in 2004. At 105 he was indeed the longest surviving member of the family. "As well as the second Vega to hit 100."

Rachel's lips pursed and her eyebrow rose. "I thought others made it to one hundred." Trina crossed her arms and nodded.

"Remember I count mom's side too. Dean Marino, who was mom's granddad, lived to be 104."

"My mother lived to be 98," George said plainly, "And Isabel's father hit 98." He pat his chest and cocked a smirk. "However my father made it to 99." The man stopped and his mouth fell back to a frown. "One month short of his hundredth."

There was a ruffling sound behind her, so she turned hoping it was her father putting down the paper. Instead, he licked his thumb and turned the page. Her brow furrowed and a heavy sigh fell from her lips.

"How long has dad lived with you, Grandpa?"

"I think it's been, what, twenty years now, Dave?" He leaned sideways, trying to peer into the dining area. David's eyes narrowed and his frown lines appeared to deepen as he turned the page. George pushed his hands up and through the air with a sigh and shook his head. "Don't mind him, Katrina. Stubborn as ever. David, get in here and talk to your daughter!"

David calmly folded the paper, set it down in front of him and stood up. "Daughter?" He said with a huff. Everyone looked surprised he spoke at all. His hands closed up and trembled as he stared at Trina. "I don't have a daughter. They both abandoned me."

He turned and walked through the kitchen. Trina felt a rush of numbness and waited as silence too the house by storm. Within seconds she heard the backdoor shut, and several silent minutes passed before they heard a car starting up.

"Don't mind him," George said with a sigh, "It is good to see you and your family again Katrina. I know your husband said you were trying to reconnect. Your father says you lost touch when you went off to college."

"He never told you what happened exactly?"

"No, just that he didn't want to discuss it." George ran his hand over his chin and took a deep breath. "He's never spoken of it as if it didn't cause him a great deal of grief, and I would think he'd talk to you. It must be his pride."

"He's always had that, and of course he never liked facing a problem." To see David run from this even now wasn't at all shocking to her like it might be to the others. "But I have three children, I was hoping to see my family again and see if they would be willing to get to know my family."

George's eyes lit up with joy and the corners of his mouth rose high into his cheeks. "So I have three great grandchildren, do I? What a blessing to be alive long enough to meet them. I only regret that Isabel isn't here." He looked over his shoulder and through the pearl curtains hanging over his window. "Where are the others?"

"Home. Their cousin, Kevin, is watching over them along with his little sister." She crossed her arms and motioned to Rachel. "Rachel should have stayed behind, but she insisted on being here." George frowned and looked to Rachel with concern.

The girl shrugged and flashed a reassuring smile. "Mom was really concerned how Grandpa Vega might react. Same with Grandma and Aunt Tori, but we haven't run into them yet."

Trina sat down beside her daughter and crossed her legs. "To be honest Grandpa, we didn't expect to find you and I certainly didn't think dad would be here." George's brow furrowed and he nodded once.

"Your father moved to Sacramento many years ago because he wanted to be closer to Isabel and myself as we got older. I think he felt he needed to have someone to watch over. I haven't seen your sister either in some time, or your mother, but I think they live in Sacramento as well."

She let out a contemplative hum and smiled gently. That her mother and Tori would being Sacramento was remarkable. She still had to figure out how to approach them, but at least they were nearby. "Great. Maybe I can look them up. Do you know anything else? Maybe Tori married?"

George smacked his lips and turned his head to the side. "Unfortunately I don't know. I do know your mother is married." He snapped his fingers and she raised up her eyebrows. "Holly remarried another police officer and he was transferred here, that much I do know. Malone. Gary Malone, I think."

"Gary-" The color left her skin and she looked back to Beck and Jade. The couple appeared just as surprised, while Jason and Rachel were clueless. She glanced back at them and crossed her arms. "Gary was the officer mom was cheating on dad with. I didn't know they got married."

"You missed a great deal, Katrina. It sounds as though your father and I have as well." George smiled at his great-granddaughter with pride glistening in his eyes. "I am happy to see your family, you've truly grown out of your shell dear."

"Thanks, Grandpa. I guess I wasn't prepared to run into Dad here. He still hates me, I see, or at least he wants nothing to do with me." She pulled her hands to her hips and looked towards the floor while shaking her head. "I could never be what he wanted."

"That's not true." George stood up and brought his hands to her shoulders. She looked up into the man's eyes and a faint smile crept up on her face. "He is just as proud of you as I am, but he's never been one to admit he was wrong." George dropped his hands and looked to the window. "He was wrong to push his own family away, and I suppose we were just as unprepared for your arrival as you were for seeing your father here."

Trina looked towards the couch and saw Rachel once again pulling her cell phone out. Her shoulders sank and her eyebrows rose up as George turned partially. Rachel glanced up and grinned at the two. "I'm updating my status to say I met my great grandpa."

"She spends all day on her phone, grandpa."

"Ah." George snapped his finger and swept the phone from Rachel. Trina stifled a laugh and Rachel's jaw fell open as the man held up the phone. "You are a Vega, we aren't dependent on technology. I'd like for you and your father to join me in the garden, I have some work left unfinished."

Jason raised an eyebrow and Rachel started to groan. "You want me out there?" He put his hand to his chest and Trina smirked. "I mean of course, what about your granddaughter?"

"She's dressed too nicely for yard work. I'm an old man, it'd be nice having a couple young hands out there to help plant the last of my seeds." George walked past Jason and pat his arm. "Plus, you can climb up and pick some fruit from the trees as well as some pecans."

Trina grabbed Rachel's phone and watched as her husband and daughter followed George to the back. Beck and Jade walked up behind her, staring in the direction that the three left. "Grandpa has not changed much."

"So he just stole your husband and daughter to do yard work?" Beck chuckled and crossed his arms. "Amazing."

It wasn't the first. Many times during family get-togethers, if they were sitting around doing nothing or focusing on their phones, he would get them up to start doing chores.

"One Christmas, Tori and I were with our cousins and we'd spent all day playing video games and texting back and forth from separate rooms." She laughed once as she recalled the childhood memory. "Grandpa called all of us together and made us put our phones and video games in a sack. He tied up the sack and said we could get them after we helped him with some yard work, and other chores."

"We need to try that with our kids…"

"It works."

Jade looked towards the fireplace with a small hum. "Cousins?" Trina nodded as the woman turned back to her. "I don't remember you or Tori talking about cousins, we thought your parents were from single-child homes…"

"Nope. There's not much to say about them. Uncle George-that's George Vega Jr., had three kids. Miguel, John and Chelsea. Mom had a sister, but as far as I know, Aunt Sonya never married and never had kids."

She didn't know much about her cousins, however. "The last time we saw our cousins, I was twelve. Uncle George moved to New York, I believe, and our cousins never kept in touch with us."

"Did you ever try and get ahold of them?"

"When I left home, yes." Trina walked to the dining table and took a seat. Jade and Beck followed. "I could only get in touch with Miguel." Miguel was the oldest, born in '87. "At the time, he was busy with his own family and couldn't do anything to help me out. I think they were in New Jersey the last I checked…"

To her understanding her cousins were all over the place. Miguel was in New Jersey, his brother John moved to Nebraska, and then Chelsea settled down somewhere in Pennsylvania. This was what Miguel told her when she contacted him again back in 2018.

"Extended family tends to fall away from each other and lose touch, that's the normal part of life." She picked up the folded newspaper and sighed at the top story; it was something about the newest President, but nothing that concerned her. "Immediate family isn't supposed to be like this though. Even back then, I never thought Mom, Dad, Tori and myself would ever be separated like we are now."

"I won't lie, we all wondered why you stayed so long."

"Because I had hoped the situation would improve." She furrowed her brow and dropped the paper back on the table. "I wanted to feel safe with my family even though I didn't trust them…I thought I was secure, but I wasn't. I was just scared to leave them. I felt safe with Jason of course, but I though my own family for sure…"

Jade's brow furrowed and Beck dropped his shoulders. "Why?" She leaned back slowly, her arms folded across her stomach and her mouth fell into a frown. "You say that a lot, even what Beck and the boys did back then played such a huge factor for you…why?"

She glanced at the kitchen archway, feeling confident that Beck and Jade were the only ones here. "I never told my family what happened with my ex." She let out a heavy breath and shrugged. "Jason knows, he's the only person I ever told." Beck and Jade grew still and an intense seriousness came over them.

"The last person I dated before Jason hurt me so severely, but that was just one of the many things, I thought I could feel safe from that pain by staying with my family and hoping they'd be there for me." Her hands closed tight and a single vein bulged on the surface of her left hand. "I never told them because they were never there for me, they wouldn't have cared. They would have laughed it off, they would have blamed me, or said I deserved it or something."

At least that was what Andre said. Her ex was friendly with Andre, bragged and boasted about what he'd done to the man. When she found out she confronted him, but Andre laughed and told her she had it coming.

She started arguing with him and then he struck her. He apologized after, saying it was a reflex from the argument, but it didn't matter. "That guy had a friend of his who he bragged to, and that guy came and started taunting me-then he hit me because I wouldn't shut up and stop telling him enough was enough."

Beck winced and Jade raised her hand over her mouth. "I hope it wasn't anyone we knew," Beck muttered. Trina pressed her lips together, studying the two closely before mustering up a sad smile and shook her head.

"It was almost thirty years ago. It certainly isn't important anymore, Beck. Besides, remember I'm actually grateful for you guys. You and Robbie, anyway, after Robbie's stunt with my harness during that play."

"That was Robbie?" Beck's eyes widened and Trina tucked a strand of hair over her ear.

"Yes." She'd done the investigation herself back then since her father ordered the police not to investigate the matter. His reasoning was that she was fine and they didn't need to use resources on investigation.

"I figured out it was him, it was an easy enough investigation…he was the only person that I interacted with that day, he used his puppet to flirt with me and I turned him away, so he was upset about that." Beck and Jade exchanged looks of surprise and Trina chuckled. "Not to mention he was the only person that actually went near where the harness was, and the only person with access."

"So all of this made you decide to leave your family and go be with Jason?"

"A bunch of stuff snowballed, yes. Seeing the things I was allowed to go through because my family didn't care helped me see they couldn't change."

"So why do you think they've changed now?"

Trina stopped for a breath and her eyes dropped to the table. "I don't know." She couldn't be sure they changed at all, but it was already certain that didn't make a huge difference. "At the very least they need to know about my children."

"You don't want them to hurt your children though, but if they haven't changed-"

"They have to have a heart somewhere. Even my dad, the way he reacted to us being here? I don't know. Grandpa says he does care and is just being stubborn, so I want to see if that's the case. I want to see if he _wants_ grandchildren."

"For your sake, or maybe for the sake of your kids, I hope your optimism pays off." She leaned forward, dropping her head for a moment. A sigh rolled away from her lips, and her eyes closed over.

"I hope so too, but someone has to be optimistic. Someone has to give them a chance and believe in them, even if no one else will. They're still my family, whether they want to be or not."

* * *

Thoughts? Observations? Do you think Trina's essentially beating a dead horse? David just walked out without so much of a word, how do you feel about his reaction? What do you think of Grandpa Vega? Also, what of the history Trina's given to Beck and Jade? Perhaps it's for the best that she doesn't go into detail, but again, it has been nearly thirty years and all the stuff in her past doesn't bother her nearly as much.


	7. The Buried Past

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 7 (The Buried Past)

Trina sat with Beck and Jade on the blue couch, her legs were crossed and her left arm hung over the top of the couch. "He has to come home eventually, right?" She looked to Beck and Jade on her right and raised her eyebrows. "Because I'm not leaving."

"Well." Beck placed an arm around Jade's shoulders and looked over his left shoulder and out the window. "Where would a single, divorced nearly eighty year old retired detective in a bad mood be found?"

"Know any local bars?" Jade replied with a casual laugh. Trina's head jerked back and she snapped her fingers at the realization. Jade's brow furrowed and a slick grin stretched across Trina's face. "What is it?"

David drank often enough when she was younger, and whenever he was stressed or upset, he'd go to the bar. If things hadn't changed much for him, she would be almost certain that he'd be there.

"That's exactly where my dad would be. I don't know any local taverns in this town." One thought she had was just to stay and wait, but if her father was trying to avoid her, seeing her car at the curb would be enough to make him turn the other way.

On the end table beside her she saw a number of pill bottles inside a brown wicker basket. A curious hum escaped her lips and she pulled the basket into her lap. "What do we have here?" She lifted a thick bottle and scanned the label. "Cholesterol."

Beck turned his head over and Jade nodded. "Typical medication for the elderly," Jade said abruptly, "My father takes a lot of them." The pills were labeled for David, and there were more than simple pills to monitor cholesterol.

He had pills for high blood pressure, medicine to help ease the pain of arthritis, and many others. "I see nothing for Grandpa in here." She was surprised to think her grandfather would be in better shape, but yet, she'd seen a great deal of things in her life to know it was possible. "With the medicine we have nowadays, people can live a lot longer, but still, this is a lot of stuff." She pushed a bottle away with her fingernails and stared down at a container towards the bottom. "There's something to strengthen organs…"

Jade reached into the basket and picked up a bottle. "I didn't know your dad had high blood pressure. Among other things." Neither did Trina, but she could see how it was possible all these years later.

"He worked in a high stress job for most of his life, his wife left him for another man, and it sounds like Tori's left him too." She took the bottle from Jade's hands and placed it back into the basket. "Being stressed out is almost a given."

Beck scratched the back of his neck and raised his eyebrows. "I'm almost surprised he's not taking an antidepressant." She laughed once and slid the basket back to the end table.

"All of this is medication someone has to take in order to sustain themselves, antidepressants aren't required and tend to do more damage than good." She tried antidepressants when she was a teenager, but only for a few short months before she quit them. "They make you sick, give you side effects that you need more medicine for, and at times make you suicidal. If you weren't already."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"I do." She crossed her arms and watched the surprise flash before their eyes. "When I was seventeen, I was on Zoloft for about a month. It made me damn near crazy. Or crazier, if you want to go that route."

She rolled her neck to the right, sighing at the popping sound in her neck. "I never actually believed in antidepressants, and neither did Dad. My doctor recommended it strongly at the time, and mom was the one to give permission. By the time Dad found out I was taking them, he literally threw them into the fireplace and said I wouldn't be taking Zoloft again."

Trina's shoulders rose and she chuckled at the memory came to her mind. "He said, 'We are Vega's, we get through our shit on our own and do not rely on mind altering crap'."

It worked out too. Much of the depression and anxiety she suffered as a teenager was a thing of the past. "I've grown a lot since then. I've escaped my problems, made a life for myself and I have a remarkable family. I couldn't be happier, and you know something? I didn't _need_ to rely on antidepressants to get here."

"Some people have to take them though."

"No one 'has' to, but I know there are some who feel they can't survive without them." She twisted towards the couple and moved her right arm up to the top of the couch. Her fingers closed and her index finger tapped the cloth.

"When I worked as an Intern at a law office, one of the attorneys had a client that was so riddled with physical ailments; Fibromyalgia, organ failure, coughing fits, all brought on by the antidepressant she'd been taking for about ten years for her depression."

"Yikes."

"And she still suffered from depression. Manic." These days she didn't believe in pills in general, save those that were truly needed. She'd become like her father in that regard, but having to take pills once you get older simply was inevitable. "I wouldn't be shocked if these pills are the among the first my dad's had to be on steadily."

"Why do you suppose antidepressants don't actually cure depression? Depression is a legitimate medical condition."

"It is." Trina uncrossed her legs and shrugged. "Antidepressants aren't designed to cure depression. They're designed to attempt to make you feel better, they can't treat the root cause of depression."

"What's that?"

"Many things can cause it. That's the problem, there are so many causations for it that pills just can't 'cure' it. They can only make you feel better, if anything at all, like morphine for a person getting out of surgery. At the same time, I'm biased."

"You never acted like you were depressed back then." Jade crossed her legs and slanted her eyes. "Hell, I always thought I was the depressed one." Trina swept her hair over her ear and shrugged once more.

"Everybody's got problems, Jade. It's a fact of life. I've struggled with crap for a long time. Even now I still struggle with certain things from time to time, but I don't let anything drag me down. I've got too much to work for."

Jade's lips curved up and she nodded. "Your husband, your kids, your career. Just don't forget to take time for yourself from time to time."

"Yeah." Beck's eyebrows closed together and his forehead wrinkled. "When you say you still struggle with some things now and then…can I ask?" An ancient memory flashed in her mind, causing her muscles to tense, but it was subtle and neither Jade or Beck noticed.

She remained stoic and placed her right hand over her left, squeezing it in her lap as she raised up the corners of her lips. "Beck I've said many times already, you have nothing to be guilty of." Beck frowned and his eyes darted to the side.

"I don't know. All these years and Jason never wanted anything to do with me. Most of it was to do with his father's affair, sure, but part of it I know he said was because of my part in how we treated you back then."

"That is his thing, though." She pulled her hand to her chest and raised her eyebrows. "I don't hold anything against you, Jade, Cat, Robbie…" She breathed in slowly and watched their lips purse. "Or Andre."

"Why the pause?"

"Don't worry about it." Beck slouched and Jade turned to her husband. She set her hand in his and smiled at him. "The only one that held any power over me back then was my ex, and maybe my immediate family, but that was just a disastrous combination."

"I don't remember you dating anyone," Jade replied. Her frown lines deepened and her left eyebrow rose beneath her bangs. "Hell, Tori never even mentioned you dating anyone. I mean, sure there was Jason, but we didn't even know about _him_." Trina pulled her hair away from her chest and threw it behind her with a sigh.

"I met Jason in 2009 at the camp. I was sixteen. That would have been around the same time that you guys met Tori, if not a little before. If that answers why I never dated anyone."

"Yeah, but after the camp, you seemed like you were trying to."

"Jason and I lost contact. After the camp, I was trying to move on, but I couldn't. Why do you think anyone I tried to date before we reconnected never actually lasted? Most of them, I just said they dumped me to save a little face." Jade jerked her head back and Beck's lips spread open.

"I had two difficult exes. One was before I met Jason at the camp, and the reason I didn't want to get into a relationship just yet. The second is the one no one knows about, which was after camp and before Jason and I reconnected." She stood up and stretched her back, sighing heavily. "That's the one that sticks with me from time to time."

"The one you said hurt you in some severe way? The one that you said someone else hit you because of?"

"Yeah…" She raised an eyebrow and closed her eyes. "The person didn't hit me because of what happened, he hit me because I wouldn't stop telling him to quit making fun of me and saying how I deserved what happened." She took a deep breath. Her eyes opened partially and her lips fell apart as the memory played on repeat.

"As for what happened? It was because I dumped him." Her chest grew tight and her eyebrows sank in the center of her forehead as the outside corners of her brows rose high. "I was in the process of accepting that I still had feelings for Jason and wanted to find him. I still wanted to be with him, so I dumped the guy. He got angry, did what he did, and bragged about it to his friend."

Jade and Beck fell quiet and gave her looks of contemplation. She smiled back at them and her features relaxed around her eyes and lips. "You're not going to tell us what happened?"

"Respect that, alright? It's been well over twenty years. I'd like not to dredge up a buried past."

"Alright." Jade reached over and gave her a friendly hug. "I think we can respect that. As long as you've moved on, as you say."

"Thank you." A shuffling sound caught her attention and she looked towards the archway, gasping out when she saw David standing within view. His eyes were glazed over and staring at her, his eyebrows were trembling above his gaze and his thin lips were stretched into a tight line.

How long had he been standing there without the three of them realizing he even arrived back home? Trina stood up and met his eyes. "I see you're home." Beck and Jade stood with her, but remained at her back.

"I figured you'd be too proud to leave, since you came to see me. I guess." David crossed his arms and averted his gaze. "What is it you want?"

"I have three children who don't know their grandparents or their aunt. They deserve to know you."

David dropped his arms and a scoff flew out with a heavy breath. "You're the one that walked out on us. If anyone's at fault here…"

"Don't deny my children because of me. You can deny _me_ as you always have, but I'm not going to let my children be denied because of me." She walked towards him, slanting her eyes and closing her hands. "If you don't want anything to do with them, that's fine, but don't think it's over. I'd like you to give them a chance, a real chance without breaking their hearts."

"You disowned us, not the other way around. Now you want us back?" David rolled his eyes and turned sideways to look to the kitchen. "That's your daughter out there with your grandfather and husband? She looks a great deal like you did." Pride grew in her as she followed his gaze.

"Yeah. She's intelligent as well, an honor roll student. She just met her grandparents on her father's side, I want her to know my side as well."

"Why?" David shot her a skeptical look. "Why would you want your children to go through what you did with us?" He sneered and spoke with spite dripping from his tongue.

"Because I believe anyone can change. Just because you treated me like crap doesn't mean you would them. I will say, if any of you hurt them, then it will be the last you see any of my children or myself."

David's face tensed and his heavy eyes fell beyond her. The wrinkles around his eyes shifted up and he pointed at Beck and Jade. "You two. Out." The couple hesitated and looked at Trina as though waiting for her word. She gave them a nod and motioned to the front door.

"It's alright guys." The couple left in silence and Trina waited until they shut the door entirely. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I can't believe I'm seeing _them_ with _you_. You left us, your family, behind…I think even Tori left them behind."

"They're good people. Different, now. They've grown up; we all have."

"After what Andre did to you? After what that Shapiro kid did, putting you in the hospital? After their puppet scheme…"

Trina cracked her neck to the side and rolled her shoulders back. "Yes." David's brow furrowed and his hands started to close up. "Beck and Jade have done nothing to me, I don't harbor any grudges against them. Not to mention, Beck happens to be my husband's half-brother." David cackled once and shook his head.

"Small world. How'd that happen?"

"That goes way back, they just reconnected for the first time. It made me want to find my family, to see if all of you wanted to see my children."

"Is that all? You only want us to accept your children?"

"If you accepted me, that's one thing. My husband? That's another. Jason and my children are the most important people in my life, I will give them the chance to know my side of their family…I won't let what happened between us keep them from knowing you."

"Remember the day you left us?" David walked towards the couch and paused to look at the basket of pills. He let out a grunt and took a seat on the cushion Trina had been on.

She turned around and placed her hands on her hips. "Yes."

"You told us you didn't feel safe anymore with us, that you didn't feel secure. We were toxic, bad for your health. We 'never cared' about you."

"You were in the same room when Andre was mocking me about my ex. You did nothing, not even when he punched me or shoved me to the ground." David's eyes fell and he shrugged.

"I didn't know how to react. I'd never seen that boy like that in my life, and it was the first I'd heard about your ex."

"It wasn't the first, you just weren't listening when I tried telling you what happened the first time." Her eyes shut and her right hand rose to her forehead. She rubbed her index finger and thumb in circles above her eyes and groaned softly.

"I was the one that had to investigate what Robbie did to me, since you did absolutely nothing." David sighed and his voice lowered to a near whisper.

"I didn't do nothing. You were okay, I thought you didn't care because you said it was one of Tori's friends. You even said it wasn't a big deal."

"When a girl who has just been injured tells someone 'it isn't a big deal', it's a big deal." She sat on the cushion farthest from him, bent her elbow on the armrest and perched her right temple on her hand with a sigh. "But you're right, I shouldn't have assumed you would automatically try to investigate who endangered your daughter's life."

"That isn't fair."

"It isn't?" She raised her head and smirked. "You're telling a prosecuting attorney that an allegation made against you isn't fair. How well would that hold up in court?"

"We're not _in_ court."

"Would you like to be? I can arrange it."

David growled and his voice shook as he spoke up. "Why in the hell did you come back?" His eyes narrowed and his right hand flung out, pointing at her. "You said that puppet scheme was an eye opener, you said you couldn't trust us."

"At the time, I was fairly certain that my life could be in danger and none of you would act." She bit on her tongue, trying to keep her voice down. Her hand flung out and her eyes narrowed.

"You found out a man forced himself on your daughter because she dumped him, found out because you were _a witness_ to that man's friend mocking and striking her down. You bought a lie told by three men alone with your daughter when she told you they were harassing her."

Fire burned in her eyes and her breathing grew heavy. "Would you like me to lay all the charges out for you?"

She stood up quickly and paced to the right, slapping the back of her hand into the palm of her left. "Failure to act, negligence and reckless endangerment of a minor. Accessory to assault and battery." She stopped pacing and turned to him with a widening scowl. "Don't sit here and tell me you're innocent and I had no reason to walk out, because if this were court and you didn't have a damn good lawyer, any decent prosecutor would be able to convince a jury to put you away."

David pressed his lips tight and threw his hands up. Trina's glare sharpened and her nostrils flared. "You practically pushed me out the door, if you remember."

"I don't remember that."

"No? The day I left, you were the one that told me that if I walked out the door, I was no longer welcome back."

"I…" He turned his head and for a split second, a look of confusion came over him. "I do not remember that. My memory isn't what it used to be." Trina's breath caught in her throat and she watched his head bow. Her heart started to sink, and a heavy breath fell from her lips.

"Right. Well. I didn't come here to fight with you. This isn't a courtroom, and you aren't on trial…It's easy for me to get into that mode."

"It's a good wall to have for defense of self."

"Hah." Her hands fell from her hips and the right corner of her mouth twisted into a smirk. "I imagine it is. Neither of us are innocent, but my children are. They deserve to know their grandparents and their aunt."

"Yeah well, I don't know about Holly and Tori. They left me a long time ago. Evidently they agreed with you, so I'm not sure I deserve to have anything to do with your children."

"Here." Trina walked over to her purse, seated neatly on the other couch. She reached in and removed her wallet from the bottom.

"What is it?"

"I have a picture." She opened the wallet up and handed it to him, pointing to the photo in the center. It was a picture of her three children sitting on the couch, and their father behind them with his arms around them. Rachel was in the center, rolling her eyes and smirking as Megan and Shawn hugged her as tightly as possible.

"Every day before court and after court, I look at that picture." David handled the wallet like it was a fragile object. Moisture glistened in his eyes as he raised his right hand and slid his trembling thumb across the photo. "They keep me sane and strong. I'm not a perfect mother, not a perfect wife or a perfect attorney, I can only do the best that I can. I try my best, all for them."

"And they'll never leave you. Unless you give them a reason to, but I hope you don't." He breathed in slowly and shut his eyes. "You have a beautiful family, Trina. I've never said it, but I'm proud of the person you've become."

She breathed in the compliment, smiling as her heart started to rise. "Could you care for them, Dad?"

"I have no grandchildren that I know of. I never knew that I had any, never thought I'd get a chance to see them if I did. I would love the chance to know them…" David lowered the wallet, still looking at it. His tears glistened on his cheeks. "I…I don't know how Holly or Tori would react to you trying to take us back into your life, but I do know I don't want to die and have no one at my funeral."

Trina sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. When she looked up to the archway, she saw Rachel's fingers wrapped around the left side frame. Her lips fell into a frown and her eyebrows rose as she watched her daughter's brown hair swing from view.

"Rachel. Come on in." David turned his head up, gasping softly as Rachel carefully stepped into view. Trina raised her arm and swung her hand inwards. "Come say hi to your grandfather."

Rachel looked concerned about something, though Trina wasn't sure what. Her daughter was staring at her with an expression that she hadn't seen often. One of concern, confusion, and fear. In her eyes was also a protective glint.

It left Trina wondering just how long Rachel had been in the room. Part of her hoped the girl hadn't just heard everything that had been said, but now wasn't the time to question.

"Are you sure, Mom?"

"Yes sweetie." Her instincts were telling her David truly wanted this opportunity. She'd still watch him though, that much was certain.

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts? What caught your eye? Do you think David can really accept them? What about Holly and Tori? At this point we know little about how they're doing, but do you think they'll want her back in their lives? David didn't seem confident, though he seems to have caused the most damage, so why do you suppose he was quick to let her back in?


	8. A Greater Fight

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 8 (A Greater Fight)

Trina watched from the archway as David and Rachel talked to each other. Her arms were folded across her abdomen and she had her right shoulder propped against the inside frame of the walkway.

A pair of strong arms slid around her waist and she closed her eyes, breathing in as she felt Jason's exhale hit her neck. "Are you alright, baby?" He spoke softly, almost a hushed whisper. Her mouth lifted into a smile and she leaned her head backwards to rest on his shoulder. "Watching them like a hawk, mama bear."

Though she couldn't see it, she sensed a smirk. It was ironic, since he was just as protective as she was. "I'm sure you're doing the same. You know how my dad was. Still…" Her eyes opened and her gaze clung to the top of the archway. "I feel like he'll be okay. Rachel seems to be getting along with him."

"If this goes well, we should bring Shawn and Michelle to see their grandfather."

"We will." With the way David sounded, he may end up agreeing with the others that trying now for Holly and Tori would be a bad idea. She still held out hope for them. "I think if my dad can change, if he can accept us, Mom and Tori should too."

"Do you think your father knows where they are?"

"I don't know. Apparently mom married the guy she was cheating on Dad with. If Tori hasn't seen Dad since then, it's possible she's wherever mom is." She couldn't shake the fear in her heart, so the best she could do was push it dow n. "I don't know that they're going to be accepting like Dad either, but I have to try."

"If push comes to shove, our children will know their grandfather. Even their great grandfather."

"They deserve to know Mom and Tori too. Mom and Tori should at least know about them. That they exist."

"I don't disagree, but…" She saw the look of disgust on his face and smiled sadly as he shook his head. "They didn't care about you."

"I know it's a long shot, and I'm aware they may never care, but I don't want to not give them a chance." She looked back at her daughter and watched as Rachel glanced sideways at her. It was a protective glance.

Trina moved her hand to her chest and tucked her fingers beneath the collar of her shirt. She breathed in slowly. "Rachel's been giving me some of her protective looks. I think she may have heard the conversation I had with my father."

"Oh?"

"We were discussing some of the reasons I left them behind. I've been keeping much of that from our children because I wanted to protect them from it. They don't need to know about some of the things we've been through."

"Did you bring up your ex and Andre with your father?"

"He was there when I had the confrontation with Andre. He knew what happened with my ex from there, so yes, that was brought up. If Rachel heard that…"

"Then there is nothing we can do. If she heard it, she might ask you about it."

"I know. I just didn't want her to already have a negative view of her grandfather. In much the same way I don't tell Beck and Jade about Andre, they already feel badly about things they shouldn't, so I don't want them to feel upset because of something Andre did."

"I understand." If Rachel did overhear her, maybe she could understand now why Trina and Jason were so strict on dating and the people that their children were friends with. "When you go to see your mother and your sister, do you want Rachel there?"

"I'm not sure. Rachel is strong enough not to be broken up so much if Mom and Tori turn her away, but I don't want that to happen. I don't want her to have to go through that rejection. I would rather be rejected than for my children to feel rejected."

"What about you? I don't want you to go through that. I know you're strong enough to deal with it, but I'm still concerned."

"I'm not going to give up on mom and Tori. Unless there's absolutely zero chance." She unfolded her arms and set her hands gently around Jason's arms. Her lower lip tucked beneath her teeth and her brow furrowed. "You know, a long time ago, I remember Tori used to see the good in everyone. She always believed that inherently everybody was good."

"That sounds a little naïve, to be honest. Some people just have nothing."

"I know. I've seen enough to know there are those who feel nothing." Her hands grew tight around his arms. "I've put away criminals that didn't even blink at the thought of a life sentence or death row, but that doesn't mean Tori was wrong."

"What does it mean?"

"Everyone has a conscience, it's up to that person whether or not they listen to it. Everyone has a moral structure, and most know the difference between right and wrong. If they've got that in their heart, they have the ability to change. To do right."

"You think your mother and your sister have changed?"

"I want to give them a chance. They were never as bad as my father was, and if my dad can change, why should I expect they can't?" She knew enough to know if Tori had been present during the fight with Andre, Tori would have reacted. Even Holly had moments, however subtle, where she showed some concern.

Such as when Trina was in the hospital after the stage incident, Holly personally requested to be the nurse monitoring her progress.

There was something there, Trina was certain more of that now than she had been years before. She did still have her doubts, and that was why she wanted her children to stay away until she was certain, but she wasn't going to give up even if they turned her away from the get go.

"I'm going to push until it's absolutely clear to me they want nothing to do with me or our children, Jason. I'm going to fight if I have to. More than I did when I was a teenager."

Jason let out a sigh and gently kissed the top of her head. "If you believe in this reconnection, I believe in you. You know I'll stand by your side no matter what."

"I appreciate that. I know I wouldn't be able to do this without you." She wouldn't even be trying if she knew Jason didn't want her to try, but he did agree with her in that their children needed to be able to have a chance to know her side of the family. "You know something? It's a shame Beck and Jade don't know what happened to the others."

"The others? You mean Cat, Andre and Robbie? Why?"

"Because they might know where to find Tori." She didn't think Tori would have kept up with them either, and it was always possible Tori was still in Los Angeles, but she didn't feel this was the case. Tori hadn't been in the spotlight for years, but she had to still have some fans that kept up with her.

"She was a celebrity. Someone has to know _something_."

"Yet no one knows the exact personal life of faded celebrities, Trina."

"True." She felt her cell phone vibrate and quickly reached into her pocket. She wasn't expecting any calls, but as an attorney, there was always a chance some judge needed her for something.

She pulled the phone up and furrowed her brow at the text message on screen. _"Can we have another drink or something? Please, it's important. Rebecca."_ Jason raised his hand to hers, cupping it around hers and around the phone.

"It's the student reporter?" He inquired. Trina smiled and nodded. "Isn't she too young to drink?"

"Yeah, but she doesn't mean she's going to drink. Let me call her." She hoped everything was alright. It sounded like Rebecca might have some bad news, but she'd have to see.

On the way home, Trina used the opportunity to look up information regarding her sister on her phone. Jason was driving, and Rachel was in the back with Beck and Jade. "I don't know if I want to meet them," Rachel announced to her surprise. She looked away from the phone and back to her daughter.

"What do you mean?"

Rachel shrugged and looked out the window. Her eyes tensed and her mouth fell into a frown. "It was nice meeting Grandpa, and I enjoyed meeting Great Grandpa Vega, but I don't know if I care to meet grandma and Aunt Tori. I don't know if I want Michelle and Shawn to either…"

"Why, sweetheart?" Rachel glanced at her and shrugged again. Sensing her daughter's distress, Trina smiled with reassurance. "Wouldn't you want to give them a chance? Maybe they've changed their opinion, like your grandfather has."

"And what if they haven't, mom? What if they hurt you?"

"I see…" She reached back and took Rachel's hand, then gave it a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to worry about me, dear. Why don't we give your grandmother and your aunt a chance to show themselves?"

Rachel waited for several seconds before huffing. "Okay. Grandpa was nice." Trina nodded and turned back to her phone, relieved to see that the screen finally loaded.

She scrolled along the page with her thumb, reading slowly about the cause for her sister fading away from the limelight. It looked like Tori was teaching choir somewhere, but for some reason she couldn't find the location.

These days celebrities had enough money to hire someone to remove certain details of their private life from the internet.

As she read further, Trina's hand rose over her mouth and a streak of anger shot through her heart. "Victoria Vega, pregnant," she muttered under her breath. "Gave birth May 14th, 2020. She gave her baby up to a reporter just days later." She narrowed her eyes and raised her head up.

It sounded like Tori gained a lot of negative publicity throughout and after her pregnancy. This caused her to step out of the spotlight, but people still talked about her. She made attempts later on to get back in, but fans and reporters still considered her to be someone who gave up a child for fame.

She kept quiet on this for the rest of the trip, as she didn't want Beck and Jade or the others to know Tori had given up a child to the first reporter that came by. While she was sure they might already know from the internet, she didn't want to bring it up.

She met with Rebecca outside a diner. Jason decided to take Beck and Jade home, and Rachel went with him. "How are you, Becky?" She sat with the girl and smiled, doing her best to ignore what she'd read online.

Rebecca sat down hunched forward a bit. Her hands were clasped together and her thumbs were scratching together. "I um, I found someone that knew my adoptive dad." Trina raised an eyebrow and watched her eyes roll into hers. "They said they knew about me."

"And?"

"I…wasn't adopted the normal way. My birth mom gave me up…they said because I 'ruined her career'." Trina's heart sank and a heavy breath fell from her lips.

"Rebecca, I-"

The girl's eyes started to water and her body began to tremble. "She was a celebrity. They said they weren't sure, just that she was a singer." Trina froze and her muscles began to tense. "They said it was just a drunken one night stand with some former friend of hers. My mom didn't even want me, and…" Rebecca's voice broke and her hands moved up to the sides of her head. "I would have been _aborted_ but she didn't want worse publicity than she was already getting."

"Oh god…"

"My dad? The man that took me in? He was the one that convinced her to keep me. He said he'd adopt me, and he did." Tears started to roll down Rebecca's cheeks. Her hands clenched on top of the table and a swallowing sound vibrated from her throat. "He's the reason I'm still here…"

Trina's hands clenched and her eyes moved to a building down the street. It was a blood clinic that did DNA testing. Her heartbeat began to increase as she contemplated the possibility that Rebecca may be Tori's daughter.

If this was the case, then her fight to get back into her family's life had just gained more fuel. Only now, she would push harder. She needed to know exactly why Tori would give up a child, surely the publicity issue wasn't the entire truth.

This had her more pissed than she'd been in a long time, and she wanted answers, but first she needed to be sure. "If my hunch is right, Rebecca…" Rebecca wiped her eyes and looked up at her. DNA testing could work through a parent's sibling, if there was enough to tell, they could confirm the truth. "Let's take a visit to this clinic…"

Rebecca breathed out slowly and her eyebrows curled together. "What?" Trina stood up and smiled at the girl.

"Trust me." If her hunch was right, then she would accept Rebecca. If her hunch was right, she was about to find Tori and demand answers-if nothing else. Now it was more than just her children deserving to meet their family, it was Rebecca deserving the truth, and Rebecca was going to get it.

* * *

Your thoughts thus far?


	9. Where in the World is Tori Vega

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 9 (Where in the World is Tori Vega)

Trina entered the house, calling for the others at the top of her lungs. Behind her Rebecca shuffled in with her fingers compressed together and her eyes darting nervously to the side.

In these days DNA testing had become so advanced that you could find out a familial connection to someone within minutes. "What's wrong?" Jason rounded the corner first, his eyes wide and filled with frantic concern. Rachel came rushing in just after, with the same look on her face.

Shawn and Michelle came in from a separate room, along with Beck and Jade. Trina saw them, but didn't react with surprise upon seeing them, though she didn't expect their presence.

A livid storm was raging in her, and the prosecutor side of her wanted immediate answers to the sheet of paper being crumpled in her right hand. "Everybody, I want you to meet Rebecca." She was going to say what had to be said as one might tear a bandage from skin.

Trina lifted the sheet of paper, huffing angrily as her family waved at Rebecca. "She's my niece." A rolling gasp sounded out, then silence followed. When the test result came out, she didn't know what to say then. Even Rebecca was stunned. It wasn't hard to follow the clues, at least not for her.

"What?" Jade stepped forward, stammering. "How is that-" Jade scratched her chin and studied Rebecca closely. "I guess she has Tori's eyes. Was Tori ever…"

Rachel shook her head and studied Rebecca with a hum. "She's old enough to have been born around the time Aunt Tori was pregnant. I never thought Tori would give up her kid…who was the father?"

"A 'former friend'." Trina handed Jade the sheet of paper and slumped onto the sofa. "Unfortunately I don't know who that would be. It was a drunken one night stand evidently." As Jade read the paper, Beck and Jason approached the girl from behind. "Maybe you guys know who it would have been? We know it can't be Beck."

"Right." Jade looked up from the page and Beck nodded. "It would be either Andre or Robbie. But, 2019 or 2020, it could have been any friend she made before then."

She hoped for everyone's sake that it wasn't Andre, but whoever it was wasn't around anyway. "What's important is now we _need_ to get to Tori." She looked at the kids, they were still staring awkwardly at Rebecca, who remained shyly in place as though she were a statue.

"She has fan groups still around," Rachel quipped, "But as for any official social media? I haven't found a thing." Rachel walked over to Rebecca, smiled and extended her hand. "So, good to meet you then, Rebecca." Rebecca smiled back and chuckled once, raising her shoulders.

"You too. Oh, call me Becky if you like." Rebecca shook her hand and looked at the others. Beck was scratching his chin while studying her, Jade was gazing at the page with astonishment. "I um, I don't know if I'm ready to meet my mom actually. Knowing how she just dumped me…"

"That's what the publicity says, but I think it was something more." Rachel put her hands to her hips and nodded. "It had to be. I've heard a lot about Aunt Tori, I don't think she'd just up and drop you. Mom will find her, she'll get the truth out."

"The truth always comes out," Trina replied casually. "No matter what, no matter how long, the truth will always come out." She agreed wholeheartedly with her daughter, there was no way Tori-not the Tori she knew-would be so shallow and coldhearted to simply give up her child practically on the hospital bed.

"I'm with Rachel, I'm not going to believe what social media says about it until I find my sister and hear it from her mouth. Tori may have cared little about me growing up, but she wasn't shallow. She was a good person…there _has_ to be more to this."

Rachel pulled her hand up to her chin. Her index finger slid across her upper lip and her eyes fell towards her pocket.

"She doesn't have a Chatterbox." 'Chatterbox' was the latest social media that replaced Twitter in the early 2020s. Many of the older celebrities that used Twitter remained on it, while some jumped onto the new ship with the newer celebrities. "Twitter's one of those things I haven't been on much, but it's possible that she still has one."

Shawn hopped onto the couch and tilted his head to the right. "Even Aunt Tori had one, what could you do?" It wasn't likely to contact a celebrity through social media and get a solid answer. Especially not something like Twitter, where you only had 150 characters to type.

"Some celebrities, even old vanished ones, have millions of followers. If she had a Twitter, if she even had a Chatterbox, there's not much chance she'd get a message from us if we sent something."

Trina stretched her legs across the couch and leaned her back over the armrest. Her right hand swept up on her forehead and came to rest just above her hairline. "Even if she saw a message from us, she might not answer." Trina didn't expect Tori would want to answer a message sent from her, the best way to contact her was directly and not by a way that was so easy to simply ignore or delete.

"I guess not. I wonder if she still has a Facebook account…" Like Twitter, Myspace, Youtube and many other social media, Facebook died out. Facebook actually merged with Google, which became a giant conglomerate, but even Google Plus had fallen by the wayside.

"You're the social media expert Rachel. I can't say I have anything more than an account on Linked-In."

"What?" Rachel's face scrunched and she shook her head. "Mom, that site is so _old!"_ Jade snickered and Trina raised an eyebrow at her daughter.

"Thanks sweetie, now I feel old."

Michelle climbed onto the couch. "Momma's not old!" Trina laughed as her daughter threw her arms around her. Rachel pulled out her phone and started to slide her fingers across the screen.

"Things have gotten a lot tighter with celebrities too," Rachel began. "Back when mom was our age, you could find everything out about celebrities, but now not so much."

Rachel was correct. There had been a great deal made about how far media could go before free press became an intrusion of privacy. Litigation passed over time, and now there was only so much that media could do. Even the Paparazzi was all but eradicated, celebrities now enjoyed near freedom of having a personal life.

This meant that a celebrity no longer in the spotlight could fade away almost entirely if they so wanted.

"Many celebrities filed suits against the Paparazzi when that law came out limiting them, and a lot signed the act to create a bill that said they went too far and needed to be restricted. No doubt Aunt Tori was one of those people. After all, publicity is what helped bring her career to a halt."

"Splendid. I love when things are difficult." She rolled her eyes and looked towards the child in her arms. Michelle was now curling up into a ball. She ran her hand slowly through her daughter's hair and looked up with a smile.

"I don't know. I still think that's what people sign up for when they become famous. They know what they're getting into when they become a singer, an actor…they are basically signing away their privacy."

"Yeah mom." Rachel looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow. "It's something to use as an advantage." She pushed her phone into her pocket and smiled at Rebecca. "Rebecca, follow me, we'll see what we can find." Trina lowered her hand and pursed her lips as Rachel started out of the room.

"Oh." Rebecca cleared her throat and started to follow. "Okay."

Rachel entered her bedroom first and shook herself, sighing as the crisp and cool air from the ceiling fan hugged her. Her bed was covered in brown bedding and propped up against the window behind the headboard.

The walls bore a warm brown color that was easy on the eyes and matched the desk opposite of the bed. She grabbed her black laptop from the bed and carried it to the desk.

Rebecca walked in and closed the door behind her. "Hey, who's that?" She saw the girl point to the computer screen and looked, startled by the profile page of musician Andre Harris. She'd forgotten that she had been looking him up before her mother came back.

"Nobody. He's nobody." She hit the home button with an angry scoff and turned her eyes down to the Skype icon at the start bar. It was flashing yellow, so she clicked it and smiled when she saw the name of the person sending her a message. "Anyway, come on in and get settled, Becky. Don't be so nervous."

"Sorry. I'm a little shy."

She leaned her head back, blinking as she remembered how Rebecca wound up approaching her mother. "Yet you approached my mother in the middle of a crowd, and had an actual conversation with her…"

"I can't explain that. Sometimes I have those moments of boldness. Right now? I'm just plain nervous." She understood the reasoning, but didn't have any way to get the girl comfortable. "I mean, I never thought for a moment that Mrs. Tyler would be, you know, related to me."

She smiled and turned to see Rebecca rubbing her arms. "Hey, the switch is on your right, you can flip off the fan if you like." Rebecca thanked her and hit the switch. "I like it cold in my room, but I don't mind turning off the fan."

Rebecca grabbed one of the idle chairs in the room, usually used for when Rachel had visitors, and rolled it over to the desk. Rebecca adjusted the glasses on her nose and looked to the Skype chat. "You've got Skype. It's impressive that it's still around, as old as it is."

Skype was one of those things that never failed to stop growing, it was already the go-to for video chatting when her parents were young, but now it had beaten out almost every other instant messaging service out there. "Yeah, it's a blessing to have."

"So who are you chatting with?"

"My friend." His username was RyanH20. His profile picture was a self-taken image of himself. He had a narrow face and deep blue eyes, and short, light brown hair that was combed forward and spiked in the front.

Rachel's fingers curled in above her keyboard and she glanced sideways at the door. "Well. To be honest, Ryan is my boyfriend, but mom and dad don't know that." She couldn't tell them, otherwise they'd kill Ryan or ground her for life, or both. "I'm not allowed to date. Well, none of us are allowed to date until we hit college."

Though now she understood why her parents were so strict on that. Not everyone was going to hurt them, but neither of her parents had 'good' relationships before meeting each other.

"You think they'd be so strict as to make you break up?"

"I don't know if they'd go that far. It's just…" She glanced to the browser, remembering her search for Andre Harris's profile. "I realize there's a reason to their strictness. It's just, I don't think I should say."

"I understand. Does it involve the guy you were looking at?" Her muscles tensed and her eyes darted to the Skype chat. "Not that I was reading, but it looks like you and Ryan are talking about him too…"

"Um…" She paused and closed her lips tight. It seemed she'd have to bring up who Andre was, but at the very least, he wasn't her mother's ex. "Andre was a former friend of my Aunt Tori." Rebecca's eyebrows rose and Rachel shrugged. "He and my mother got into a fight a long time ago, and that's about as much as I'm comfortable saying right now."

"Okay. I won't pry."

"As for Aunt Tori…" She opened the browser back up and began to type in the search bar. "Let's see if we can't try to find her through social media. If she doesn't want to be found she won't be, and we'll have to look at this another way."

"Think you can find a way?"

"Sure." Rachel cracked her knuckles and smirked at the computer screen. "My grandfather was a cop and my mom's a lawyer. I got this."

A few hours later Rachel was leaning to the right with her head perched on her hand and her left index finger striking the keyboard repeatedly. Her brows furrowed and her mouth was twisted into an annoyed scowl.

Rebecca was lounging on the bed and tossing a ball into the air. "Do you have it yet?"

"Either she's dropped off the face of the earth or she's paid a really good attorney to conceal her all these years later." The key was Rebecca's birth. She knew that much. Even still, whoever she was with on the party she apparently became pregnant at didn't appear in any photos of her. Or those that he had, his face was never shown.

"So Shawn and Michelle seem great."

"They are." She leaned back from the computer and turned towards Rebecca. Her mouth turned into a partial smile and her lips separated about an inch. "Shawn gets on my nerves like any little brother." Rebecca sat up against the headboard and raised her eyebrows high.

"I wish I had siblings."

Rachel laughed once. Her hand moved through her hair and she closed her eyes. "Well, there are times I wish I was an only child, but I wouldn't trade Shawn or Michelle for anything. Just don't tell them I said that."

"Why not?"

"Shawn already tries to spend every waking moment with me." She rolled her eyes and turned to the computer. "Hell, I think I was even witness to his conception." The ball dropped to the floor and she heard Rebecca stifle a laugh.

"Wait, what?"

Her shoulders sank a heavy sigh fell from her lips. "Let's just say when you're a child, and you hear your mother shouting, you want to find out what's going on at all costs." She shook her head and moved her fingers back to the keyboard. "Some doors should just stay shut."

"Wow…" Rachel typed her grandmother's name in the search bar, on a hunch, hoping that might shed some light on Tori's location. "Um, I have a question, if I can ask it." She pulled her hands away and watched the browser begin to load.

"Go ahead."

"Do you and Ryan…" Her eyes rose and a light shade of red grew on her cheeks. Her cousin was asking about sex, but she and Ryan had agreed not to approach that. At least not for now.

"No. Mom and Dad might already be upset if they knew we'd been keeping a relationship secret, but sex? They'd really kill us." The search results opened up on the browser and she leaned forward, humming as her eyes scanned each name and photo on the list. "Besides, we both would like to wait until a specific time."

"Marriage?"

"Not exactly. College at least, if our relationship is still going and still serious enough, and my parents have been told, as well as his father, and they all approve…" She glanced over her shoulder to see Rebecca walking towards her. The girl smiled at and her eyebrows curled up.

"That sounds like a good idea." Rebecca looked towards the computer and pointed to the search bar. "What about searching for the officer that your grandmother married? You said she divorced your grandpa and married someone else."

"She's your grandmother as well."

"I know, I'm still getting used to it."

She hadn't thought about searching for Gary, and she knew his full name from what her mother said some time ago. "Then Gary Malone it is." She typed his name into the search bar and reclined in her chair. "Great idea, Becky."

"Thanks!"

The results popped up, and sure enough the third photo down was of an older man in uniform with a grey buzz cut. Rachel read some of the description beneath the man's name and felt confident enough to click it.

"Hopefully this is the right guy." People didn't put their address out on social media so much, but if he had his city located, she could easily do a reverse address lookup on whitepages. Unless he was unlisted, which she sincerely hoped not. "Searching for Aunt Tori is…rougher than I thought."

An amusing thought popped into her mind and she turned to Rebecca. "You know, back when my mom was a kid there was a show out and a game. 'Where in the World is Carmen Santiago'."

"Yeah?"

"Insert my aunt's name."

* * *

Well, Rachel the social media guru is doing her best. What are your thoughts on everything? Do you agree with Rachel's and Trina's instincts that there has to be something more to the reason Tori gave up Rebecca? What are your thoughts, and who is the father? Also, what does it mean that Rachel was looking up Andre? Do you think she might try something?


	10. The Hunt Continues

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 10 (The Hunt Continues)

"More paperwork." Trina set the lawyer's docket down on the desk in her downtown office and leaned back in her black leather chair. Her eyes traveled to the whiteboard on her wall that bore the words 'Trial Docket' for Misdemeanors and Felonies.

She didn't work misdemeanors often, if at all. Considering her position, she dealt mostly with high profile criminal cases. The one she was working on now was an aggravated sexual assault case, and she had a fairly strong case. The DNA evidence pointed to the defendant, there was a partial thumbprint matching the defendant, and of course the weapon used in the attack had been found and registered to the defendant.

Her mind, however, ws on other matters. "So this is your office?" Her eyes darted over to the door where Rebecca was entering. She smiled as the girl approached her desk. "Why did you ask me to come today?"

"I know you said you were working as a student reporter. How is that going?" Her right arm bent on the armrest and she tucked her thumb beneath her chin and her index finger on her cheek. "Is it going well?"

"I guess. It could be better, to be honest." Rebecca sat in a chair and Trina watched the girl's eyes travel to the degrees on the wall. "I've kind of been thinking about what I want to do when I start college up next year. I don't know if I still want to be a reporter anymore or not."

"You seemed sure of that decision before." She crossed her legs and laced her fingers together. "What changed?" Her hands perched on her upper knee and she watched the girl as she continued to study the office room.

"I don't know. According to the public, reporters hounded my mom while she was pregnant with me, so did they ruin her career? Did I?" She frowned and unlaced her fingers.

"We don't know what the situation was, Rebecca. What I remember of my sister-your mother-she wasn't so shallow to just give up her child because of a career problem." Rebecca's head bowed.

"What could it be? Why wouldn't she want me?"

"Rebecca, do you know what 'beyond reasonable doubt' means?" She reclined and pulled her hands behind her head. The girl raised her head up, nodding once. "There has to be possibly 98, 99 percent certainty that a person is guilty. Do you know beyond reasonable doubt whether your mother gave you up because you 'ruined her career'?"

"No…"

"That's hearsay as well. Do you know what that means?" The teenager's lips pursed and she replied with another single, brisk nod. "Good. Then you know that hearsay is a third party and rarely admitted into court. We wouldn't be able to put on the witness stand a friend of a friend to the victim, who may have 'heard through the grapevine'. Hearsay isn't always correct, it isn't reliable."

"So?"

"Until we've heard from the people that were there, we do not have the evidence or the witnesses to suggest what you're saying." Trina stood up and walked over to Rebecca, smiling as she placed a gentle hand to the girl's shoulder. Rebecca looked up into her eyes, smiling back and breathing in slowly.

"So we should hear what my mom has to say? You don't think…"

"Tori is, was, a good person at heart." She knelt down with a sigh and dropped her left hand to the arm of the chair. "My sister once had the opportunity to become famous, even before I left, but that manager would have her turn on everyone she knew. She chose not to."

Rebecca dropped her gaze, chuckling once. "That sounds nice."

"If she gave you up, it wasn't because you ruined her career, sweetie. Until I have heard the reasoning from _her_ lips and no one else's, I refuse to accept popular opinion on this. Hearsay."

"You sound like a defense attorney." Trina leaned back and laughed.

"Ironic, isn't it?"

She rubbed Rebecca's back and stood up, grunting and sweeping her hand across her knee so as to wipe off any potential dirt.

Rebecca pressed her thumbs together and looked down into her lap. Trina furrowed her brow and smiled warmly as her niece looked towards her. "I was thinking. Is it possible for me to do an internship here?" She raised an eyebrow and her lips fell open.

"Internship?" It took her a moment to register the thought. She didn't often take interns, and certainly not any that were under eighteen. Still, it was her niece, and the internship here was unpaid. "Why do you want to intern here?"

"Well." Rebecca brushed her hair over her shoulder and straightened her posture. "You know I've always admired you and I do want to see what it's like. I don't know what I want to do in the long run, but maybe it'll give me a chance to see if I want to be a lawyer…"

"I don't have a problem with it, but let me see what I can do." She was the chief prosecutor in the office, but that didn't mean she was going to do anything without checking to see if the others in the office would be okay with it. She still had to talk to them, let them know who Rebecca was and when she might be there. "You're not eighteen yet, and you're still a minor, so I'll have to talk to your school and your foster-"

"I'm emancipated." Trina's speech fell away from her and her heart stopped in mid beat. Rebecca chuckled nervously and watched as she moved her hands down to her hips.

"Emancipated? So you're on your own?"

This was an issue for her, but not so much the fact that the girl was emancipated but that it would have implied the last family that had her wasn't up to par.

Trina raised her hand to her neck and rolled her head to the side until her neck popped. "My last foster family and I didn't exactly get along…" She closed her eyes and let her shoulders fall.

"I see." Tension grew in the room, threatening to strangle her with all of its anger. "Well, I'll need to see those documents. Then like I said, I will want to talk to your school and your employer." An emancipated teen needed to have a stable and reliable income. Since she'd been a student reporter, this meant her actual job was something else. "Where have you worked?"

"Oh I've worked as a waitress at Ihop and a cashier at Walmart." Attempting to process the three different jobs the girl had done, she shook and dropped her head, sighing with amazement.

"So you've managed to go to high school, do a student internship, work at Walmart and at Ihop? Do you _have_ any free time?"

"Y-Yes." She squinted at Rebecca, studying the nervous look in her eyes.

This was unacceptable. She couldn't allow her niece to have so little time to herself. "At this rate, you're not even going to have time for college. If you even start wanting to be a lawyer, you'll have to devote yourself to college."

Trina snapped her fingers and paced to the right. "Here's what we're going to do. I want you to consider leaving those jobs-preferably Walmart-and I will give you a personal allowance." Rebecca's eyes widened and her jaw fell open.

"You're serious?" Her stammer intensified and the girl had to turn away to clear her throat. "I mean, you'd do that? Why would you do that?"

"Because you're my niece and you don't need to be working two jobs right now." She crossed her arms and moved towards her chair. "Rather…I'll let you work here as an intern and I'll see if I can pay you."

"I think…" Rebecca shook her head and her nervous stammer continued as the bewildered expression swept across her face. "I think I'd like that."

"Alright." Trina sat down and reached for the phone. "Do you want to observe a trial in action? I will be going to trial soon." Rebecca's eyes dropped to the trial docket and she leaned towards it while folding her hands in her lap.

"It's an aggravated sexual assault case, Rebecca. We have powerful evidence against the defendant."

"I think I'd like to see that. You have witnesses?"

"We have experts. The police officer arriving on scene, the witness related to chain of control, which includes the forensic serologist." She paused to see the contemplative glint in the girl's eyes. "Chain of control basically means who handled the evidence and when."

"Oh. How many of those kinds of cases do you have?"

"Sexual assault? There are quite a few in this town, sadly." She frowned and slowly shook her head. "It's a large town, so murder is more prevalent, but you get a number of everything."

The cases weren't difficult for her, at least not as they may have been twenty years ago. These days, she took every case that was offered to her, and she requested some cases herself.

"Do you ever do plea hearings?"

"No." Plea hearings were mostly done by defense attorneys that were helping their client either plead out of jail or plead for probation. "Defense attorneys do those."

Trina folded her hand over her chin and began to tap her right temple with her forefinger. She studied Rebecca for a few seconds of silence, watching as the girl's nervous eyes moved along the walls of the office. "You know, you will also need to understand strict confidentiality here. As we are a prosecutor's office, we represent the victim of crime generally, and much the same way that defense attorneys represent an offender, we cannot give any information about clients to anyone."

"I understand." Rebecca took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses. "If I'm handling any case information, I'm not to talk about that person to anyone."

"Precisely." It was tempting, especially when you know a person, but that temptation had to be pushed down.

A good example was before she started out as an attorney, and was a secretary for a family law firm, one of that attorney's clients was a man filing for divorce and seeking custody over his wife: Catherine Valentine. Or more appropriately, Hart. This was back in 2020.

She was deemed by the courts to be mentally unfit and unable to care for the son in that divorce case, so the father won out. It was a sad thing, and it was confidential information that she couldn't reveal even to Beck and Jade. Or at least, she was too strict in regards to confidentiality laws to go blabbing a client's personal stuff to anyone.

"That really refers to anyone not sanctioned to handle that case information. Now…" She picked up the receiver of her phone and moved her hand towards the numbers. "Do you have the number of the person you said that knew the man that took you in? The one that told you your birth mother wanted to be rid of you?" Rebecca frowned and looked towards her purse, a sure sign that she did.

"I…yeah, but why do you want to talk to her?"

"I want to hear what she said about my sister that I don't know about. I want to know where she got this information from." There was also a chance this woman had some sort of idea about the whereabouts of her sister-or someone that may know.

She received the number from her reluctant niece, who waited patiently as Trina dialed the number and brought the phone to her ear. It rang twice, then a woman answered.

"Hello." Trina straightened her back and tapped her nails on the desk, one finger at a time. "This is Katrina Tyler, you spoke with a young woman by the name of Rebecca Wilson recently. Is that correct?" Her eyes moved to her fingers and the skin around them began to fold.

"Oh yes, a wonderful dear. She wanted to know more about her mother. The one that gave her to Bradley."

"How do you know Mr. Wilson, ma'am?"

"He was a very good friend of mine."

"I see." She closed her eyes and curled her fingers into her palm. "I am a prosecuting attorney here in Sacramento and I have Miss Wilson with me. I was curious where you received your information regarding her birth mother. Was this information given to you by Mr. Wilson?"

There was a brief pause, followed by the sound of someone taking a deep and long breath. "Oh I see. No ma'am, Bradley actually got along well with Victoria. He spoke highly of her." Trina's eyebrows shot up and she glanced at her niece, who instantly tensed with nervousness. "I just assumed, I mean I never asked him, but the tabloids and the newspapers suggested that Victoria may have given her up because of her failing career, or that she wanted to abort the poor child."

Trina huffed and slowly shook her head. "You have no concrete evidence that Victoria ever wanted to abort her unborn child?"

"No, I'm sorry. Maybe the reports were wrong to say that, if so, tell Rebecca I apologize. I hope I didn't give her anything too damaging."

"You meant well, at least. Do you know anyone that may shed light on her current whereabouts?"

"I don't. Bradley always seemed to think she might come back. I don't know if that was true or not either, but as you know, he was murdered…the poor dear was put into foster care."

"I see." There really wasn't any further information she could see herself getting from this woman. So it was best to hang up and be done with it. "Anyway, thank you for your time." The woman said her farewell, apologizing once more for potentially giving misleading information to Rebecca. Trina hung up and moved her laced fingers up just beneath her nose.

Rebecca turned up her head, curling her eyebrows in the middle. "Well Mrs-no, _aunt_ Trina?"

"That woman got her information from newspapers and tabloids. There is no concrete evidence that your mother would have thrown you away." Her eyes shut and a gentle breeze wafted from her nostrils. "She said Bradley hinted that Tori may have wanted to go back to get you, but again, we don't know that for a fact."

The girl's hand shot over her mouth and she gasped out suddenly. "You're serious? Why would she give me up if that was the case? I don't…"

"There are a number of reasons people give their children up. Sometimes finances, sometimes it's the environment. Then yes, there are times a person just doesn't want a child." She paused to watch the girl's reaction. Rebecca's shoulders fell and she started to bow her head once more. "None of these we know for sure. We're not going to know the truth until we've heard it from Tori herself"

"Okay. I'll try not to worry, it's just…I don't know…"

"Relax. It will be okay." It was her understanding that Rachel found Gary's profile on some social media outlet. The only issue was he probably didn't have his address down, but she was still trying. "There's a chance that my mom and her second husband will know, but we still have to reach them."

There was one possibility from a legal standpoint that Trina wondered about. It was the fact that former celebrity or not, there was so little out there about Tori's whereabouts over the years.

She recognized this.

A person, it didn't have to be a celebrity, though celebrities were generally the only ones who could afford it, could hire a lawyer to work on helping that person fade away by monitoring any potential marks online where that person may want to hide away.

If somebody _wanted_ to fade away, they could do it, but it usually took a few years to manage. For Tori, it had also been long enough that most of her fans would have grown up by now and younger generations may not be as aware of who she was.

Even Rachel said most of the stuff she was finding on Tori was old, as if someone had been keeping her records hidden and her out of the spotlight. It was like a witness protection program for celebrities.

Tori would have to slip up at some point, and Trina would be there to catch it.

* * *

What are your thoughts thus far? So it's still confirmed we have absolutely no idea why Tori gave Rebecca up, or even why it seems she's removed herself from the public eye. It looks like she began the process very soon after Rebecca's birth. Why do you think that is? What do you think where it was implied she might return to the reporter? What was she trying to do? One think it seems Trina hasn't thought about is that Rebecca has been in San Francisco most of her life, the reporter lived in that town and was murdered there-hence Trina wound up prosecuting the murderer. Could that mean Tori may be somewhere nearby?


	11. Dinner Discussions

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: As it has been some time I feel compelled to give you this chapter today as it is prepared for you.

* * *

Chapter 11 (Dinner Discussions)

Beck and Jade were over for dinner with their kids, as was one of Rachel's friends. Trina approached the table, carrying a large basted turkey in her hands.

The table was one that could be pulled open so an idle piece could be inserted to make it longer. This was best for larger families or guests. Making the table longer allowed for Beck and Jade to sit on one side of the table with their children, while Trina's kids sat directly across from them. Rachel sat at the far end of the table with her back to the windows of the kitchen, with her friend sitting at the corner.

"So this is the mutual friend of Kevin's?" Trina asked while setting the turkey down in the center. She heard Jade make a joke to Beck about something from the past, to which he gave a nervous laugh. "Ryan, I presume."

Trina sat at the corner end beside Jason, who was seated at the head of the table. Her eyes moved towards Ryan and squinted as she studied him. He had a very calm and quiet nature about him, broad shoulders and a slight muscular build. They weren't as large as the muscles Jason had in his teens, but close, giving the impression that he either played in sports or worked out.

There was a familiarity in his eyes, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Ryan smiled politely and Rachel looked at him. "Yeah mom, he's a friend from school. Ryan Hart. He knew Kevin. Kevin said Uncle Beck was talking about dad, Ryan put two and two together, and here we are." Rachel shrugged. "You said you wanted to be introduced to my friend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ryan said. It was almost overly polite, and Trina thought she detected a nervous tone in his voice. Ryan still had a strong presence despite the nervousness, though she couldn't help but to wonder why that was present. The boy met her eyes and his eyebrows pushed into his forehead. "If I seem nervous, it's only because of whose presence I'm in. I apologize if I come across any way other than nervous."

"Well." Jason laughed richly and pat Trina's forearm. "My wife _can_ be intimidating when she wants to be."

Trina turned to him, shook her head and turned back with a chuckle. "I'm not that intimidating." She didn't try to be and she always thought of Jason as more intimidating than she was. Then, he was only intimidating when he got protective.

"Anyway, Ryan." She motioned to the turkey and flashed a smile. "Since you're the guest in our home, you can take the first cut."

"Thank you." She watched him lean towards the turkey, and saw Rachel watching as well. Rachel looked to be holding her breath and waiting for something. The curiosity she felt was intriguing, though she didn't want to question the closeness of the two just yet.

Ryan plated his food and leaned back into his chair as the rest of the table went to collect their meal, with Jade's children first and then their parents. After that, Trina plated the food for her children, then Jason and finally herself.

"You know," Ryan began, "I'm helping Rachel and Kevin look for your sister, Mrs. Tyler." Trina slid a bite of meat into her mouth and closed her eyes while humming with contemplation. "I've even asked on forums, but unfortunately that's turned up nothing."

Kevin nodded and spoke up, drawing the attention in the room. "There's some speculation she might have changed her name." She leaned back, raising her right eyebrow and frowning.

The thought of Tori changing her name wasn't a good one, but she could see the value if Tori was indeed trying to get away from that life. "It shouldn't be hard for her to slip away when she wasn't necessarily as famous as other pop stars." She set her fork down gently beside the plate, but grasped onto the stem of the utensil firmly. "Still, why would she want to get out of the spotlight? Is there nothing you can find?"

Rachel's shoulders sank and she shook her head. "She's harder to locate than some of her old friends." While true, the question sent off an alarm bell in her head. She was about to ask who and why Rachel would be looking up, but Jason asked the question before she got a chance.

Rachel's eyes darted open and her lips separated, though no answer came. "Actually." Kevin raised his hand up, and his parents turned to him. "We were just curious about a few of them, so just curiosity."

"Which one?" She added emphasis to her question in hopes they would tell her honestly. If it wasn't Andre, she'd be fine with that. "Cat? Robbie?"

"Cat and Robbie, actually." Kevin took a bite of his meal and closed his eyes, humming as he chewed. When he swallowed, his eyes opened up and the corners of his mouth pulled back. "Robbie's on a video website and seems to be a traveling ventriloquist. The last video he made said he was in Las Vegas, and was travelling to a casino in Oklahoma."

"So he's all over the place." It wasn't surprising that he was a ventriloquist now. After all, he had the talent for throwing his voice. The only issue she had with him, besides the stage incident, was the stalking. "Now that I think about it, was I the only one creeped out by him?"

"No." Beck and Jade shook their heads, both shuddering. Jade turned her eyes to Trina, her brow furrowed and her shoulders moved inwards. "I mean he was a good friend, Trina, but he had issues. All of us did back then, but Robbie? He was desperate for attention."

"I remember him always hiding out in the bushes in our backyard, always watching us. I think it was mostly Tori, though."

"It was. He had a bit of an obsession with her." Jade cut a slice of her turkey and raised it towards her lips. Her fork paused just before her lips and she watched the children look to her with intrigue. "He…just wanted to be liked, I think."

"I thought he was into that Cat girl," Jason said abruptly. Trina saw Ryan's eyes widen and his mouth started to open. "Valentine, right?" Jade chewed her bite and nodded.

"Right." She swallowed. Trina tapped her foot gently on the ground, waiting impatiently for the conversation over Robbie to end. "Cat liked him too but for some reason that relationship just never happened. Robbie might have gone back to following Tori around, because Tori was the closest thing to attention from a girl he was going to get."

"I see." Trina picked up her silverware and motioned to Kevin. "What about Cat? You said you guys found her too?"

"We were just testing at that point," Kevin replied, "But it really wasn't hard. She's in an assisted living home in Fresno."

"She just went crazy," Ryan said. Trina's eyes darted over to him and she watched the boy casually eat his next bite. His eyes closed and his mouth flattened into a straight line. "She got married, had a kid, got a divorce and lost the kid. She went to a mental hospital for a time, and then moved to Fresno because she found a cheap assisted living home there."

Trina almost dropped her utensil and stared in shock at the boy. Beck and Jade did the same, questioning with their gazes. "How did you figure all of that out?" It was a silly question, because as she put two and two together, she was remembering the old divorce case that her mentor in the family law office had regarding Cat.

It was uncanny if true, and a remarkable coincidence. Cat was quite possibly one of the only friends Tori had that she liked back then. Even now, with the exception of Beck and Jade, Cat was the one she had the least problems with.

"She was my mother," Ryan answered plaintively. He remained nonchalant, shrugging as he started to take another bite. "Haven't seen or heard from her in years. Dad says she got hooked on painkillers after I was born and ended up flipping out about something-not sure what."

"She was on painkillers because of the pregnancy?"

"I imagine." Cat always had mental problems from what she understood. Paranoia was perhaps the most common issue, but she also got upset at the slightest provocation at times and could feel incredibly lonely as well.

The girl was also desperately in love with Robbie, but afraid to pursue that relationship. From what she remembered of the divorce and custody case, Cat was depressed and unhappy. The painkillers probably dulled that pain, but they were also causing her to be withdrawn and at times not entirely present with the world.

The drug addiction was part of the reason the father was given custody of the child, the other was that she'd let her child be placed in dangerous situations around the house in her presence, and she was never aware of the danger.

She nodded to Ryan and mustered a politie smile. "Out of respect we won't ask you to go into detail." Ryan smiled back. His hands closed around his silverware and he exhaled slowly.

"I appreciate that, Mrs. Tyler."

"His dad's as protective of him as you are of us," Rachel stated. "You can imagine why."

"Dad says mom's starting to get better. He calls over to the assisted living facility once in a while. For some reason they don't let him talk to mom, but they report she's no longer dependent on those painkillers and hasn't been for years. She's been working as a waitress for a while now, and I guess she's living her life however she wants to."

Bittersweet news to her ears. She saw Beck and Jade turn their heads down, and their faces grew long. It didn't take much for her to figure how they must have felt hearing about Cat. For her, she was happy that Cat appeared to be doing better for herself, but it was sad that the woman didn't seem to be associated with her family, or want to be.

Cat was an adult that may be able to leave the assisted living facility on her own at some point of time, likely considered to be among the 'low risk' patients. This meant legally she had the ability to take and give calls, the staff could not turn down a phone call unless she was explicit in telling them to reject calls from certain people.

Rebecca came to mind and Trina thought about how the woman she spoke to made it sound like Tori never wanted her daughter. Now hearing about Cat, she couldn't help to compare Tori and Cat.

If either of them sounded like they didn't want their child, it would have to be Cat. Cat had always wanted to be with Robbie, Alan Hart was "second best", but she was still unhappy even before she had a child. Alan wasn't and could never be Robert Shapiro.

The further difference between Tori and Cat, at least in Trina's eyes, was that she had a first-hand witness telling her the account. Cat's own son.

"Let's change this discussion." Trina moved her napkin to her mouth, sliding it across her lips and then folding it. "Ryan, how did you and Rachel meet?"

"We met at school, Mrs. Tyler. She was always in the hallway around lunch, texting on her phone." Rachel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I'm not antisocial or anything, I just don't like the lunchroom. Too many immature kids running around and throwing stuff."

"True." Ryan laughed and Rachel's eyes seemed to light up. Trina hummed for a second and moved her hand in a circular motion. Ryan cleared his throat and his eyes moved towards the girl. "Lunch was right after my weightlifting class, so I would always see her when leaving. I decided to stop and ask her why she never ate at the cafeteria, and then starting hanging out." He smiled and Rachel carefully pulled her hair from her face.

Trina's mouth formed an oval and her brow furrowed. "Rachel, why don't you eat with your other school friends?" Rachel had a group of friends that she and Jason knew about, they were similar to the group of friends that Tori had.

"I don't spend all of lunch out in the hallway. Crystal and Paul eat and then sneak off together, Mateo goes to the library to read and study for the rest of lunch. Anthony tends to leave for the basketball courts once he's done eating, and then Ann sort of leaves to do her own thing."

"Ah, so once they're gone you don't follow them?"

"No, I'm a slow eater and they know I like to have some alone time during lunch."

She was relieved that Rachel didn't seem to be having any problems at school. She liked to have some alone time herself back high school, there was a peacefulness to it.

"I have wondered what all of your friends were up to lately, since we haven't seen them over in some time."

"Well." Rachel raised her fork and looked up to the left with a hum. "Paul and Crystal started dating a few months ago, so they're always doing something together. Anthony was Paul's best friend for the longest time before they started dating, so he started feeling like a third wheel and now he's kind of making other friends. Mateo's gotten into some advanced placement courses and spends most of his time studying, and I don't really know what's going on with Ann. She just seems to be doing her own thing these days."

"I see." This was the way things went a lot of the time. While she missed seeing Rachel's friends spending time together at the house, she knew it was a matter of time before they started to branch apart.

As Rachel spoke, Trina took note of the sadness in her voice at some points. It was normal, but at the same time, Rachel still appeared to be handling things well enough.

"Um we did find Gary Malone, by the way." Trina raised her eyebrows and Rachel shrugged. "He lives in San Diego, California. His profile suggested that he was still working at a police department there. Kevin called down."

"What?" Beck looked at his son, narrowing his eyes and causing the boy to shift nervously in the chair. "You called this person without asking if it was okay?"

"He was a cop, Dad." Kevin folded his arms across his chest and started to sigh. "We did ask the person at the desk about him and they transferred me over. The secretary said they threw an office party recently, so I told him I wanted to send a gift of thanks to his wife for the party and asked where to mail the card to."

Beck started to say something more, but stopped. His jaw fell open and he did a double take. "Wait, so Gary just gave you the address he and Holly live at?"

"3300 Newton Avenue, San Diego, California. Evidently he and his wife are the talk of town. They're active in their church, they frequently throw parties for coworkers and have guests over."

"Wow, just…wow…"

Trina blinked multiple times and moved her hand up to her forehead. "I can't say Gary's ever been the brightest person." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "But neither was my mother. Can't say I'm surprised they just gave a teenager their address. Did they not even screen the phone number? They should have noticed a San Francisco area code."

"I guess they didn't."

"Well it doesn't matter now." The important thing was they had the address and could reach out to Holly. The unfortunate thing was it was eight hours away, farther out than Los Angeles. She wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to take her entire family there this time.

Where her mother was concerned, she didn't think Holly would accept her family as David had done. It may not be as important for her to, but she hoped the woman might. If anything, Holly had to know of Tori's whereabouts, and for the moment, Tori was the most important.

* * *

Quite a bit discussed here. What are your thoughts? Did you notice Rachel left out the fact that she pinpointed Andre's actual location? Will she actually try to find him? What do you think will happen with Gary and Holly? Did it look like Trina suspected something between Rachel and Ryan? As of the next chapter we will know not only the city but the location of Tori's employment. Something else will happen at the very end of the chapter involving Rachel and the other teens, which will go into the next chapter but we will see Tori again in chapter 14.


	12. Estranged Confrontations

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 12 (Estranged Confrontations)

Eight hours was just a simple weekend drive for her, and since she was the only one going, Trina decided not to waste money on a plane ticket. When she arrived to the given address, she was startled by the cars parked along the curb on both sides of the already narrow street.

"Jesus, this is worse than downtown." She managed to park between two cars and exit her vehicle without much trouble despite the pothole she was forced to park over. "Now. Let's see if my mother holds anything for her former family."

She approached the two story abode with a confident step. Her hands were closed and her arms hardly swung away from her sides. On the drive she had the opportunity to dial her father and ask his opinion of Holly, what she got wasn't a positive reaction.

 _"She may not even talk to you."_ His words rang like a siren in her head, warning her away. _"Tori was close to her, but as far as I know, they had a falling out years ago."_ Trina grit her teeth and walked up the steps to the front door.

There was a window to the right, and there was enough of a view for her to peer in through the pane. Several people were gathered around the living room, many with champagne in their hands.

Also in the living room was a man of about twenty sitting on the couch with a young woman. In her hands she held a baby wrapped in pink. Beside the man was an older man about her age, likely the father of one of the two twenty year olds as he was gazing at the baby with a proud expression.

Trina gazed around the area until she spotted a large framed photo on the wall. These three people were in the photograph, and on the sides were two elders that she recognized in an instant. Gary was on the right and Holly was on the left.

"If I remember correctly…" A whisper fell out with a soft, rolling breath. "Gary had a child from another marriage." Gary's wife died when Trina was thirteen, she remembered her father taking the family to the funeral. There was a boy there, just one or two years younger than Tori.

Trina leaned away from the window and looked towards the sky with a hum of disdain. "Mom's got a family already. A stepson, grandson, and a great grandchild. I wonder if she has any place in her heart for blood."

A party being thrown wasn't the best time to have your long estranged daughter show up, but from what it sounded like, Holly and Gary through regular parties.

Trina adjusted her blazer, straightening it out, then took a deep breath. "No time like the present." She released her breath and struck the doorbell. _"I got along more with my dad, of all people, why do I think my mother would want anything to do with me?"_

The longer she stood at the door, the more anxious she became. Though just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard a clicking sound from the other side. The door opened and she found herself staring back into the aged eyes of Gary Malone.

"Hello?" He asked. "Are you here for the retirement party?" There was no recognition in his eyes, as if he had never seen here before. "Another one of my wife's guests…"

To her surprise he looked tired. Even his speech was slow and strained. Perhaps he was unhappy with the current arrangement. "Yes. I am here for Holly." She moved her hands to her hips and peered inside, but her mother was nowhere to be seen. "These parties are rather frequent."

"Yes. I imagine Holly would rather I not retire, but I've worked a long time." He turned his head over his shoulder and pointed towards a door. "She's out back." She was shocked to see Gary appeared worse for wear than her father, and her father suffered from loneliness as far as she could tell.

Perhaps Holly was simply draining; even David she used for money. David still had his looks too, Gary didn't. Gary was now bald, hunched over, his eyes and cheeks were sagging to the point of looking like an old bloodhound.

There was a violent tremor in his form, likely that of Parkinson's, and the man looked ready to keel over at any minute.

"Thank you." She started past him and then stopped. "By any chance. Do you remember me? Katrina." Gary squinted and leaned forward, studying her for what felt like the longest time. When he shook his head, she felt an onset of shock rushing through her.

"I'm sorry, your name doesn't ring a bell for me."

"I-really?"

Someone approached her from behind, causing her to tense and spin around suddenly. The man her age smiled politely and extended his hand. "Don't mind my father's memory. I'm Lucas." She shook his hand.

"Trina. Trina Vega, to be exact." Lucas opened his mouth and pulled his hand towards his lips.

"I see…" Trina watched Gary walk away, shuffling across the floor. "My father is in the early stages of dementia. Names and faces are hardest for him." She crossed her arms and looked towards the back door. "You said you were here for Holly? I assume by your name."

"Yes I'm her daughter. The oldest one."

"I should let you know, she hasn't spoken kindly of any of you in years." She frowned and disgust began to grow in her heart. She couldn't be angry, but she was still hurt to hear that her mother might not like any of them. "Not since Tori took off over a decade ago."

"Yeah. I've been looking for my sister too."

Lucas leaned to the right and turned his head to the door. "Well the last I heard, Tori took off to some small town. Redwood, I believe." Her eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. She ground her teeth and thought about the town of Redwood.

It was a town of nearly 100,000 and thirty minutes south of San Francisco. "She got a job there teaching at a high school-sometime around 2023 or 2024."

"Do you have an address, Lucas?"

"No I don't. Sorry. I do know she was extremely upset about some stuff, but she didn't talk much about it." Lucas motioned for her to follow, guiding her through the party guests and to the door. "So, Holly should be right out here, and I'll be honest, your mom probably hasn't changed much."

"What do you mean?" He pulled the curtain from the window panes and let pointed outside.

When she looked, she saw the now silver haired, wrinkled face of her mother sitting in the lap of an old man in a pool chair. The man had a full head of white hair, a surprisingly young looking face, and no sagging skin on his arms.

"Oh." She closed her eyes and breathed out a large breath of air. "Let me guess, she's not interested in Gary anymore and is moving on to the next best thing?" Lucas nodded once and his mouth twisted into a frown.

"Of course my dad's completely oblivious."

"I came here hoping mom might want to get to know my family. I hoped she might like to see her grandchildren and the man that I married." Lucas dropped the curtains and leaned against the wall. His arms crossed over his chest and his shoulders rose. Trina pushed her hand beneath the hair over her forehead and slowly pushed the hairs back over her head.

"I think maybe I was wrong about that."

"You could certainly still try. Though it's obvious she holds no attachments to anyone. Even at seventy-five. The minute her meal ticket runs out she's onto the next."

"Yeah…I also wanted to find out more information about where my sister was, but you told me that." She ran her hand along her neck and shoulder, then sighed. "Any idea what school that was?"

"Um no, I'm not entirely certain." He uncrossed his arms and stood straight. "There were five to seven I think, if you count charter and private." He scratched at the side of his head and looked up and to the right. "She may have gone to Redwood High, but Sequoia stands out to me."

She snapped her fingers and started to grin. Whatever the case may be, she was much closer to the location of her sister than she'd ever been. Sequoia was the more popular high school in Redwood City, but Redwood High was also a good choice. "Do you know if she ever changed her name? I don't know if she still goes by Tori Vega or not."

"No." Her lips pursed and she tilted her head. "I do think she changed it. At least the attorney she was talking to back then suggested she do so. Wilson, I think. Victoria Wilson. She never told us why she chose that name, just that she was changing her name to that at the request of her attorney and leaving."

The relief rolled from her shoulders and her lips and she held back a triumphant laugh. This was more than enough to locate her sister. If she was unlisted by any chance, she could search the schools for a teacher with that name.

"I will deal with her soon then, but first, I'd like to at least _try_ talking to my mother." Lucas looked at her with an uncertain look and she reached for the doorknob. "I gave my _father_ a chance, threw him a line and he took it, so the least I can do is give my mother a chance."

"If I can give you a bit of input before you go out there." She pulled the door open an inch and stopped, staring down at the doorknob. The animosity in his voice was strong, but she could tell it wasn't directed at her. "That woman out there has taken advantage of my father since they married. I know she's cheated on him with other men. Till now he's always held out hope that she would stay with him and stop the affairs."

"Right?"

"You don't need someone like that in your life. Rather, your children don't need that influence in their life. You can give her a chance if you'd like, but she may just be a bad influence on your family. If they've taken to your dad and everything seems good and functional there, would you need to worry about your mother?"

Her hand loosened around the knob and she watched her mother's arms slide around the neck of the man she was busy canoodling with. Her shoulders fell and her head shook from side to side.

Lucas was right, even Tori left this woman behind. There had to be a reason. "Why did Tori take off, Lucas? Why'd she leave mom behind when she always held out hope for people? She was the one that thought people could change, more so than I ever did, yet I'm right here and she's gone."

"She thought the same. Told Holly she was a terrible influence and the two had a vicious fight about what Holly might end up being like around her children. I agree, I've had to watch my own son grow up watching his grandmother cheat on his grandpa-thinking that was normal for several years. There was never any love between them either."

"So Tori didn't want that around her kids, if she ever had any."

"Right."

"She's a better judge of character than I am, or at least she was when I was younger." Trina pulled open the door, still eager to at least let her mother know she was alive. "Still, I have to talk to her."

The minute she stepped outside she saw Holly's eyes flicker over to her. The old woman's face twisted to a look of horror, then an angry scowl stretched across her face. "What are you doing here?" Holly pushed herself away from the man and approached Trina with a low growl. "You abandoned us years ago, and then Tori left me behind. What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you. To tell you about your grandchildren."

"I have a grandchild." Holly crossed her arms and looked smugly at Trina. "I have a great grandchild. I have everything I could possibly want, so what do you have to offer?" Trina closed her eyes and bowed her head.

Her mother's voice was shrill and sharp, and it was enough to pierce her ears and fill her heart with dread. "Tori already told me I'm a bad influence, you told us we were terrible people when you left."

"Yeah, I wanted to see if you changed, to see if maybe you wanted to know your daughter's family." She opened her eyes partially and looked towards her mother. Her face remained stoic and her voice calm, despite the growing anger inside of her. "Clearly I was wrong. You have no interest, but even then, I have to protect my family the best I can. Evidently, Tori thought she would have to protect herself and whatever children she had from you, and so do I."

Trina looked past Holly and smiled politely at the old man staring back at her with a startled expression. "Hello sir, I'm Trina Vega." Holly gasped and began shaking her hands.

"Don't you dare."

"I'm Holly's oldest child from her first marriage."

"Trina!"

"She cheated on my father with Gary Malone, and then married him." Trina crossed her arms and glanced to the side, seeing Lucas in her peripheral. He had a wide smirk on his face.

"Apparently she has cheated on Gary numerous times over the last twenty years. Maybe you're number three, maybe five, maybe you're number ten…" The man cupped his hand over his mouth while Holly threw her hands into her hair. "Some people change, my father has, but then some people simply remain the same. It is clear to me that my mother is the same woman she's always been. If she's cheated on my father, she's cheated and cheating on Gary, she will cheat on you too."

"Would you shut your damn mouth young lady! Get the hell out of my house." Holly pointed to the door, shrieking at the top of her lungs. Trina shrugged and turned her back to her mother. "I don't care if you're married now, I don't care if you have children or even if you've built a damn life for yourself. I don't want to see you again!"

That was enough for her. "So be it. Farewell mom, I hope you have a good life." Her chest and shoulders rose and she took a strong step back into the house. Lucas followed her in and shut the door behind her.

It was difficult to say how she felt. Part of her wanted to scream and punch holes in the wall, but the other part of her wanted to leave with her head heled high.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and pulled away while looking back at Lucas. "Look, you wanted to find Tori. I told you what I know, I hope you find her."

"Thanks Lucas." She acknowledged him as her stepbrother, even though she never had the chance to get to know him. "You seem like a well-rounded person, maybe you could meet my family? It would be nice to call you family." Lucas chuckled once and nodded.

"Same here, but I don't know how well they'd accept me."

"Maybe in time. My oldest might take a while, she tends to be protective and impulsive, so…who knows." At least now she could head out to Redwood City, although she was going to need some rest for another long drive.

Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Rachel sat in Ryan's car as they drove to a large and pristine looking mansion with gilded gates. In the backseat were Kevin and Rebecca, of course Rebecca had been suggesting multiple times in this six hour drive that they turn the car around, but Rachel wasn't letting it happen.

"Did I remember my inhaler?" Rebecca muttered while shuffling through her purse. "I don't think I can breathe." Rachel glared at the golden gates of the large mansion and flared her nostrils.

"Just relax," Kevin remarked. "Take a deep breath Rebecca, we'll go home soon. This was the best chance, really."

Rachel knew the opportunity to take this drive wouldn't present itself often. With her mom gone for a few days, she was a bit out of the protective bubble. Granted her father was still deathly protective, but Jason trusted Kevin while Beck and Jade were happy to see their son spending time with his two new cousins.

"Relax? Excuse me, but what if something goes wrong? What if something happens? We are going to get into _so much trouble_ with our parents!"

"You won't," Rachel replied. Jason and Trina _may_ discipline Rebecca, but she didn't think they would. They didn't have that much control over the girl since she lived on her own, but anything was possible. "I just have to do this. I have to wipe that asshole's smug little grin off his face."

"Why do you think I came along?" Ryan looked at the rearview mirror, studying Rebecca with a stoic expression. "I'm not going to let anything happen to any of you."

Rebecca sighed and continued to shake. "How did you even manage to get out, Ryan? What did you tell your dad?"

"Dad has a brother living around here, he knows I've driven out from time to time. He doesn't mind as long as I call him, since it is a long drive."

As they parked outside the gates, Rachel took a moment to study the wrought-iron bars and the large name in the center. _HARRIS_.

She hated this man, she hated everything about him. Ever since she learned what he did to her mother right after what a friend of his had done to her. "I wasn't supposed to hear what mom said to Grandpa." She clenched her fists in her lap and watched the electronic gates open.

There were several cars inside and people walking along the grounds as though a massive party were taking place. "Yeah well, I wish you hadn't." Ryan hung his elbow over the window and looked at her with concern. "I couldn't talk you out of this…as impulsive as you are, just don't do anything too rash."

"I only want to talk to him, to find out why he acted the way he did."

Andre Harris was a semi-famous musician now, his career was on the rise. Rachel wasn't so vindictive as to ruin his career, but the thought was a tempting one. For now, all she wanted to do was talk, and nothing more.

"Nothing is going to happen Rebecca, so try to calm down."'

* * *

So we've seen the stepfamily. What are your thoughts on everything? Certainly it comes to little shock that Holly has not changed much, so how do you feel about how Trina handled that? She could have flown off the handle, but kept her grace about her it seems. Then, the teenagers have started a search of their own. What are your thoughts? Can this end any other way besides badly? Rachel's got her instincts about her, but impulse action seems to override her instinct, at least in this case. Do you think this will lead to trouble in the future? Also, we finally have a lead on Tori, we're closing in on her (We _will_ see her in chapter 14. Chapter 13 continues where 12 leaves off with Rachel)


	13. Empire

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I put this up now tonight because tomorrow is the third week of my internship and I go into work in the morning, so I won't be able to updtate this tomorrow morning. Thus, you have it now.

* * *

Chapter 13 (Empire)

The large double doors flew open with a hiss and a cloud of smoke rolled across her feet as Rachel stepped into the mansion. The music came as an explosion of notes threatening to burst her ears and the lighting gave the impression of red being splattered about the walls.

Beside her Ryan walked like a knight; his narrow-eyed glare burned into everything they touched. Kevin approached on the left, staring over his shoulders as Rebecca sauntered in behind them. "How do they not have a bouncer?"

"The one guy let us in." Rachel flipped her hair over her shoulders and pointed to a tall dark-skinned man of about twenty years old. The boy wore a green jersey and dark knee length shorts. His eyes were as black as knight and his lips were surprisingly thin.

Rachel met him outside when they were trying to figure a way around the bouncer at the door, he was Andre's oldest son.

She told the boy she was a really good fan of his father and just wanted to talk to him, so the boy let her and the group in. "Evidently Andre's son," Kevin said, "Where were you? You were right there with us." Ryan turned his head, glancing to Rebecca for a moment and chuckled.

"She wasn't paying attention." Rebecca continued to spend most of her time complaining about how this was crossing a line. Rachel did feel bad about convincing the girl to come with them because she didn't want her mom getting angry at Rebecca, but she was confident nothing was going to happen.

"Well she does have a bit of a point." Rachel closed her hands and looked around at the dozens of people scattered throughout the mansion. "What are the chances all of our parents get together and realize we're not there?" Hell, Ryan would have to get gas before they went back, and his father could always call his brother and see if Ryan went by.

Kevin pocketed his hands and shrugged. "We can just visit Ryan's uncle and tell our parents we were taking the road trip with him."

"Except my parents would never let me drive six hours with a guy, even with you and Rebecca here." If her parents had to get angry about anything, she'd rather them be upset over that.

As she studied the walls she saw headpieces of wolves lions. There was a large fireplace nearby that was made of some crystal like material and a pearl spiral staircase in the center room that went up at least four floors. Each floor was made up of a balcony that wrapped around the room, letting anyone look down into the main area.

As far as she could see, there were people flooding these areas. So many that she couldn't see Mr. Harris anywhere. She looked back to Dean, he was watching her while sitting amongst a few of his friends.

Dean met her eyes, smacked his lips and then nudged one of his friends before walking over. "You look lost." He smiled coolly and swept his hand along the cornrows that ran down to the bottom of his neck. "Are you having trouble finding my dad?"

"A little." She saw a flicker of distrust in Rebecca's eyes. The girl took one glance at Dean, her lips flattened and the corners of her mouth indented into her cheeks while her muscles began to tense. Ryan crossed his arms and Kevin's eyes moved up to the tip of Dean's head. The boy stood at an intimidating six foot and three inches.

Dean bowed and stretched his arm out towards the stairwell. "Right this way. I'm sure Dad's in his bedroom, getting ready for his moment." He rose and started for the stairs. Rachel followed closely and looked towards a large stage in the center. There was a tall microphone standing beside some amplifiers.

"He's going to play some of his own music for the party, huh?"

"Yep." Dean placed his hand on the railing and stepped up on the stairs. "Careful coming up, the steps are small." Rachel stepped up and felt half of her foot hanging off the edge. She looked down with a hum as the others moved around her.

Rebecca leaned in and whispered. "I don't like this, Rachel. I don't trust this guy. Something's off about him. Why would he just let you in because you're a fan of his dad? Does he let every underage fan into parties?"

"Relax, I can take care of myself." She shook her head and continued up the stairs. As they approached the next floor she began to hear an ominous orchestra tune that made the hair on her neck stand on end.

With each step she trembled and felt the greater urge to do as Rebecca advised and to leave. Most often she led with action rather than thought, and from time to time that could get her into some serious trouble but never anything too bad.

Dean looked over his shoulder, studying Ryan and Kevin. "So how do you two know the ladies in your company?" Kevin pointed to Rachel, answering that he was her cousin. Dean smiled, but the smile faded when Ryan answered that he was her boyfriend.

"Rebecca is also my cousin," Rachel answered. "We drove all the way from San Franci-" Something made her stop and she felt a deal of regret in revealing that information. Her instincts screamed out as they had been doing during the entire drive here, but up to this point she had been ignoring them. Now she wondered if it was too late to listen to them.

All the anger she felt towards Andre, and all of the questioning she had for him could wait. All the man did to her mother was hit her, he wasn't the ex that forced himself onto her mom because she dumped the guy-he was just the one that told Trina she deserved what happened.

He was an asshole, but did he need Trina's daughter to come asking him why he was one? "Maybe you're right," she huffed at Rebecca. Rebecca smiled at her and she looked down the stairs. "But we've come so far…" Her stomach began twisting and she looked towards Dean with uncertainty. "So um Dean, do you play any sports?"

"No I'm not a big fan of sports. Dad's been trying to get me into athletics, but I don't care for it."

"Any idea what you'd like to do? What do you study in college?"

"I don't know just yet. He'd also like me to be a pianist like him, but I'm not into music. I prefer to work with my hands, but I also like managerial positions. To be in charge, the position of power you know…"

There was something to be said about someone that enjoyed controlling things, though supervisors and managers were always needed and good if they were good leaders and not just there for the power.

Dean led them to a large door and pushed it open with his hands. Inside was a tall dark haired man in a white bathrobe sitting at the edge of a piano. "Hey Dad." Rachel's nostrils flared open and the nerves in her were swept away by the rush of anger coming from this man's presence. "You've got someone here to see you."

"Can't they wait like everybody else?" The man turned his head and growled as his sharp-eyed glare shot into her. Dean dropped his hands down with a sigh as Andre turned away. "Tell them to go away. I'll be downstairs when I'm ready."

"But-"

"Now Dean. Why can't you be more like your sister? She does what she is told and doesn't interrupt me."

"Wow." Rachel took a step forward, laughing at the way Andre was treating his son. "You're _still_ a prick." Andre's shoulders rose and his hand sank with a demonic hiss. Dean's eyebrow rose and Rachel took another step forward. "I'm not leaving. I drove all the way here to speak to you and that's what I'm going to do. I want answers."

"You will get answers after my performance tonight."

"Screw your shitty performance. No one wants to hear that." The lid to the piano keys slammed down and echoed off the walls of the room. Andre stood and turned with an angry shout, glaring down at her. She glared back, unflinching. No longer was she able to think about anything but letting the anger lead her.

"What did you say to me? Who in the hell are you."

"The name's Rachel Tyler." Andre squinted and Rachel cracked her neck. "The daughter of Trina Vega. Perhaps you remember her?" His eyes widened and he threw his hand to the door.

"Dean. Get out." Dean wasted no time doing as his father instructed, muttering curses under his breath. Andre crossed his arms and cocked a smirk. "So. Trina's kid. I never thought she'd find someone to settle down with. I remember she dumped a friend of mine, poor guy."

Her jaw fell and her voice rose in anger. "You still side with him? He forced himself on my mother!" Rebecca's eyes grew. Kevin coughed and Ryan's jaw fell open. She heard Rebecca ask if Ryan knew anything about that, he said he didn't and stated he would never have let this drive happen had he known.

She pushed her chest out and threw an accusing finger at him. "You laughed at her." Andre crossed his arms. The right side of his upper lip twitched and his face seemed to slide upwards. "You said she deserved what she got, that she brought it on herself. She said you were wrong, it wasn't her fault. You hit her! You punched my mother-threw her to the ground."

Andre brushed his hand along his shoulder, sighed and dropped his hands. "Your point? It thirty fucking years ago, kid."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked back to see Ryan looking protectively at her. "Rachel, we need to leave. We should never have come." She pushed his hand away with a growl.

"Leave me alone. I want to know why he did that to my momma."

"Ryan's right," Kevin insisted with a hushed voice. "My mom and dad don't even know what happened." She rolled her eyes and spun around.

"So? Kevin, they trusted him. They _liked_ him. Your dad was his best friend. Aunt Tori respected him. Don't you think they'd all want answers too?"

"No! Aunt Trina's moved on. I know you're protective of your mom, but Rachel, this really…Rebecca's right, if that's the whole thing that happened, then we really have no business being here."

"You should listen to your friends, kid." Andre walked towards her, chuckling under his breath. "You may have no idea who I am. I'm a world famous pianist, I've built a mighty empire in music. What could you, someone so small, hope to gain by confronting me?" Rachel scoffed.

"My mother's the most powerful prosecuting attorney in all of California. She'd destroy you."

"That bitch couldn't do shit to me before, what makes you think she can do anything to me now?" Her fingernails dug into her palm and she swore smoke was billowing from her nose as she stared at this nonchalant man before her. "Honestly the way my friend phrased it, it sounded like she enjoyed it."

Her body started to shake and fire seemed to surround them. "You…" Tears formed at her eyes and her teeth ground together. "You asshole. All I wanted to do was talk, to figure out why you did what you did, but-"

"She was an attention whore. Come on. I'm sure you're not much different if you're her daughter." Her heart stopped and she caught her breath in her throat. "Face it, she asked for it." She could feel Ryan and Kevin holding her back, but adrenaline fed her muscles and willed her to pull away.

"No she didn't!" She raised her fist and threw it towards Andre with a piercing scream.

Kevin and Ryan caught her again, shouting for her to back off. Andre turned away with a laugh and Ryan cursed him. "You're out of line Mr. Harris."

"You're trespassing."

"No we're not," Rebecca hissed, "Dean let us in. Every attorney knows it isn't trespassing if we're let in by a resident." Andre leaned forward, grasping the edges of his piano and sighing.

"My son. Can't do anything right. I swear, he sees a girl and he drops everything." Andre looked over at Rachel and shook his head. "Your mother was a bitch. None of us liked her. Beck and Jade hated her just as much as any of us." Rachel sneered and Kevin spat out at Andre.

"That isn't true," he exclaimed, "They love her." Andre raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"Well, there's something I wouldn't have ever seen coming. Nevertheless."

"You want a bitch?" Rachel pulled away from the boys and pat her hand to her chest. "I'll show you a bitch." She pushed past the boys, storming out the doors. Behind her Rebecca called out to her.

She pushed Dean out of her way when she made it to the stairs and descended as fast as she could with everyone rushing behind her.

Rachel made it to the stage and grabbed the microphone, calling into it to get everyone's attention. The guests in the mansion stopped whatever they were doing and looked at her.

Andre stopped at the final step and grabbed his chest. "Shit, no, stop her!"

"You all think you know Andre Harris?" Rachel's eyes burned with fire and rage snuffed the sense from her heart. "I'll tell you the kind of man he is. A friend of his sexually assaulted a woman he knew, a woman who was close to several of his closest friends. He sided with the man, he said she deserved it, and then he punched her."

Andre paled and Dean's hand moved over his mouth while a resounding gasp echoed throughout the house. "Get down from there," Dean cried, "You're humiliating my father."

"Oh shut up and stand up for yourself. Your dad's an asshole to you too." She turned her eyes to the crowd of guests and swept her hand through her hair. "Enjoy the sweet sounds of your favorite musician, the 'passionate' Andre Harris."

She hopped off the stage and walked for the doors, ignoring the frantic shouts from Andre and his son.

Rachel moved as far as to Ryan's car without looking to check and see if he or the others were behind her. She entered his car and crossed her arms, glaring down at her feet for what seemed to be an eternity until pulling her knees up and dropping her head to release a series of frustrated sobs.

The car doors opened and closed, and she felt someone rubbing her back. "It's okay," Rebecca whispered, "Don't listen to anything he said."

"Yeah," Kevin added, "People can be assholes…" The car started up and Rachel leaned sideways, resting her head onto Ryan's shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes.

"Can we not tell Mom about this?" She sniffled and tightened her grip around her abdomen. "I don't know what I was thinking making you guys drive here. I'm sorry. I lost it…"

"Not your fault. That man was just mean, I don't believe a word he says."

"He said Uncle Beck and Aunt Jade hated my mother."

"Well they don't, and that's all that matters."

She took a deep breath and looked out the window. "I guess." The last thing she heard was either Andre or Dean threatening her, saying she'd regret what she'd done. She wasn't proud of what she had done, and she wasn't scared of them. She didn't think anything would happen, and certainly this wasn't something to worry her mom about.

"Maybe we should tell Aunt Trina," Rebecca whispered. "Uncle Beck and Aunt Jade too."

Rachel turned her head, burying her face into Ryan's shoulder. "No." She raised her head a bit and saw Ryan's eyes slide over to her. "No, they have their own things to worry about. Mom's trying to get in touch with Aunt Tori. I don't want to bother her with this…she let it die a long time ago, she doesn't need me bringing it up. I shouldn't have done this."

"Yeah, but what's done is done."

"Can we just go?" Her stomach churned and the anger was washed away by her disgust. "Please?"

Ryan moved his right arm around her, hugging her. She smiled warmly as his voice soothed her. "My uncle's place isn't far from here. We can still drive over there and you can get some rest. I doubt you want to take a six hour drive feeling like this."

"Sounds great."

"Okay. My uncle's place it is then."

* * *

Well, does anyone think there will be a problem to come? Dean...Dean seems a bit creepy, does he? Rachel let herself lose control, let's hope she tells her mother what happened. What do you think is going to happen? What are your thoughts regarding this chapter and regarding Andre? He seems like he's definitely become more self-centered.


	14. Bitter Fallen Star

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: There's some opera music in here, when you see the title, I suggest listening to the music. That said, enjoy the chapter

* * *

Chapter 14 (The Bitter Fallen Star)

Trina bore a proud smirk on her face as she tore down the freeway. Her cell phone was hooked to the holder on the car's dashboard and the sound was hooked to the radio so she could make the call to a police officer she once worked with near Redwood City.

When he answered, she could tell by the muffled sound of his voice that he was eating. "Mike, how the hell are ya? It's Trina Tyler calling you." The man swallowed his bite and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Mrs. Tyler. Can I help you with something? Is it for a case?"

She stretched out her fingers, then curled them around the steering wheel firmly. "I won't lie to you." She glanced at the rearview mirror, then the side mirror, making sure there were no cars nearby so she could change lanes. "I need help finding my sister. She goes by the name of Victoria Wilson and lives in the town of Redwood City. She works as a choir teacher at either Sequoia or Redwood High."

"Oh? I don't know if I can use police resources to look someone up, but I can tell you the name rings familiar." She raised an eyebrow as her finger gently tapped the steering wheel. "My daughter is in band at Redwood High. She talks about the choir room next door quite often, and I believe the teacher there is Ms. Wilson. I can tell you that Wilson is not a common name in Redwood City."

Her heart skipped a beat and she smacked the top of the steering with a triumphant laugh. "Ah Mike, if I wasn't a loyal married woman I might kiss you." Mike started laughing.

"You're not my type anyway, and I'm pretty sure your husband could throttle me if he wished."

"I always said Jason was a one man army when he wants to be."

"If you'd like, I can give you the number to the principal. They can tell you more about Ms. Wilson."

"Can you just transfer me? I'd like to keep my phone in the dock." Mike did as requested. These days phone technology had become so advanced that someone could dial a separate number as though one were beginning a conference call and leave the other two people in that call even if they disconnected.

She pressed the 'accept' button on her phone and turned her eyes to the light clouds in the sky. "Hello?" Answered the calm voice yet aged voice of a woman. "This is Linda Green, who may I ask is calling?"

"Hi Linda, this is Katrina Tyler. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you for asking." There was a slight pause and Trina looked to the phone, smiling pleasantly. "I recognize your name. You're that attorney up in San Francisco. The word around here is you're the favorite choice for District Attorney."

"You've heard correct. Politics aside though, I'd like to ask you some questions about an employee of yours." Linda took a deep breath and hummed for a few seconds. "I'm asking about your choir director, Ms. Victoria Wilson. I believe she works there?"

"She does. I will certainly try to answer what I can, but some things you understand I can't."

"Yes ma'am. I appreciate whatever help you can provide." There were still confidentiality laws in place between employers and their employees, so she would have to be careful. She was certainly above using her connection as an attorney to get answers. "How long has she worked for you?"

"Well, I've been the principal here for nearly twenty years. I would say Ms. Wilson started around 2024, so thirteen years." This was good news, it collaborated with what Lucas told her.

Trina didn't want to bring up Rebecca to Tori right at the first meeting. There was quite a bit she wanted to discuss, but some things were going to have to wait. "Did you know her prior to her working there?"

"I did. I was the one that recommended to the ISD that she work at Redwood High. She met with me a few years prior, saying she was aiming to teach in a small town like our town, but needed a few years to be ready. Of course, we didn't have an opening for a choir director at the time."

"So then she planned for this."

"Yes."

"Okay." It didn't surprise her much. What was more surprising was Tori had actively taken steps to leave the spotlight when it always seemed that Tori cared more about being in it than out. "You then are aware of who she was before, correct?"

"I am." The response was a bit of a curt reply. The woman exhaled and Trina could hear her nails tapping on the surface of something. "As are most of the teachers there. Some of the students are as well, but as far as the employees go, I've instructed them to keep silent. It has always been Ms. Wilson's wish to remain undetected. By now, it's been so long that I don't believe anyone quite cares that she was once famous."

"It must be nice to have that claim to fame for your high school though."

"It would be nice, but we would get no benefits from telling anyone that a former pop star teaches here." She agreed with the principal; all that would do would make hordes of press and old fans rush to the school. There would be no privacy, and once again, Tori might take off.

"Did she ever tell you why she was leaving the spotlight?"

"Nothing specific, just that she was tired." There came another pause, then Linda's voice softened. "Actually she does have the students working on a recital this summer. They're at the school's auditorium from four to seven, and should be there this evening. I'm sure if you have any further questions, she would answer."

"Maybe."

"I do want to give you a bit of advice though." Trina paused and turned her eyes to the phone. "Ms. Wilson _does_ talk favorably about you, but I think she also is upset with you." She raised an eyebrow and jerked her head back.

"Wait, you're saying you know who I am?"

"Of course, why else would San Francisco's leading prosecutor ask questions about someone that isn't involved in anything? We're only thirty minutes away, she has mentioned being your sister" Trina shook her head slowly, unable to respond to what Linda was saying.

"She's also made remarks in the past about your success. She may be a tad envious…after all, she's no longer famous and some people have forgotten about her."

"Yet she _chose_ to leave the spotlight."

"Others haven't, Mrs. Tyler. Who today still remembers Miley Cyrus or even Justin Bieber? We know their names, but we don't care about them anymore. Sure even now people still love to listen to Frank Sinatra and Elvis, but only in fleeting glimpses. Radios don't play them, the news doesn't report on them."

Trina's mouth pulled back into her cheeks and her brow furrowed. The more she listened, the more she understood where this woman was coming from. It was true, the celebrities she'd named had been forgotten yet people still knew them.

As for Sinatra and Elvis, it was only her generation or generations before her that still cared for their music. She herself loved Celine Dion and Shakira growing up, but those stars faded.

Tori had never been as famous as any of them, however. That was her understanding. She was closer to regional fame, so it wasn't a huge surprise that she may not be remembered as vastly as the aforementioned had been.

"No reason she should envy me." Hell, when she was growing up, she envied Tori.

"No?" Linda laughed once. It echoed against the car's interior and startled Trina. She pushed down gently on the brake of her vehicle and closed her eyebrows together. "You're going to live on, the cases you do, the impact you have on the world around us will have lasting effects."

"If you become the DA you will be the one to make regulations and changes to how those in law enforcement do their job, you will be a politician that shapes a lot more than what a simple celebrity can do."

"I suppose."

"You've already done much. We remember people like Bob Keppel, you know him?" She chuckled and nodded. Keppel was the detective that put away Ted Bundy back in the 1970s, along with several other serial killers.

"Of course, who doesn't?"

"History remembers those who shape the world. The history and government textbooks in my class don't mention famous celebrities like Sinatra, rappers like Eminem, or anything like that because they didn't shape the world in the same way that politicians have. If they do mention any of them, maybe it's a paragraph or two."

Linda chuckled again and Trina returned her focus to the road. "We remember District Attorneys who have done powerful things. Such as Jim Garrison in the 1960s, most famous for investigating President Kennedy's assassination. Or Francis Scott Key, he was a lawyer you know."

"Right. I also know Kamala Harris was the first female district attorney of San Francisco." Even now her claim to fame in the many high profile cases that she'd prosecuted, there were multiple serial killers and serial rapists on her belt. She was best known for never backing down.

"What about your most famous trial, Mrs. Tyler? The one where right in court you managed to get the Golden Hanger to confess to murders on the witness stand. Like Keppel and Bundy, people will _never_ forget that."

The Golden Hanger was a serial killer known for hanging his victims on various parts of the Golden Gate bridge. He was a prolific killer in the late 2020s and early 2030s and left little evidence. The suspect on trial was denying any involvement but she'd managed to ask so many questions about his alibi, his connection to the victims resembling the people in his life, to the point that he'd become aggressive in trial and not only confessed to being the killer but threatened that he'd go after her as well if given the chance.

This trial had been highly televised and followed heavily by the media. The killer was sentenced to death, and these days the death sentence was swift. A person no longer waited twenty years on death row, if they were lucky they'd make it to ten years.

"Ask again why your sister wouldn't be remotely envious of you, Mrs. Tyler."

She cocked her head to the right and chuckled. She was also inspired by people like Bob Keppel and other powerful leaders. "Maybe one day I'll inspire people who want to go into law."

"I'm sure you have already done that, and I'm sure you will do so for years to come. You are already a very inspirational woman. Not to mention, you would be the first Latin-American woman to make DA in San Francisco. That right there is quite the inspiration."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome Ms. Tyler. Also, if I may add, I do hope you seize that position." Pride swelled in her heart, and her lips spread into a wide grin.

That evening she managed to get to Redwood City. She was by herself for this first visit, though she did call her oldest daughter to ask if she'd like to join her, but Rachel said she wasn't interested.

Something was bothering Rachel and she wouldn't say what, so it was concerning for her. Trina almost decided to go on home and be there for her daughter, but the girl was adamant in her going to see Tori.

The school's auditorium was huge for a simple town school. If she were to measure, it had to be fifty feet long, sixty feet wide, and it was incredibly high. Though when she got there, the janitor did say the school's auditorium was one of the town's talking selling points.

She walked down the middle aisle between at least thirty rows of chairs. In all there were four sections facing the large stage up front. It was almost like walking through a grand ballroom.

On the stage were nearly forty students standing on steps pulled onto the stage, each student had a songbook in their hands and were singing in an operatic tune. In the center with her back turned was their teacher, waving her hand like an orchestra maestro.

She had long brown hair that folded neatly over her shoulders and was cut like an arrowhead whose tip ended just a few inches away from the curve of her back. She had long black slacks and a purple shirt with chiffon sleeves.

The current tune being played was Bizet and Carmen: _Toreador Song_. It didn't have as much on vocals, though the students had to strain themselves to sing notes along with the music.

Trina's eyebrows bounced up as she slipped into the third row from the stage and sat in the middle seat. Her eyes travelled to the pianist on stage and she pulled her hands behind her head, listening to the next familiar tune that began.

"Mozart." His name fell from her lips and her eyes squinted as she watched Tori's hand bounce. "'Queen of the Night', what in the hell is this recital she's training her students for?"

Perhaps it was an operatic recital, but judging by the looks on the faces of her students, Tori was pushing them to the limit.

The music changed once again to Verdi's _La Donna_. She closed her eyes and started to hum the tune while swaying her head with the music. Her right leg crossed over her left and her foot started to bounce.

The men in the choir could sing with this while the girls seemed to be able to break. As soon as the song ended, Tori had the students start a new one, but this time the boys took a break while the girls sang.

It was Rimsky-Korsakov's _Snow Maiden: Prologue_. The scene of the snow maiden, Frost and Spring.

Trina raised an eyebrow and whistled softly once the tune came to an end. "And bow!" Tori's voice echoed out and her students started to bow. "Break for twenty."

Her students dispersed, leaving backstage. Tori swept her hand across her forehead and turned around with a heavy sigh. Trina decided to take this moment to applaud the students. "Great job. You're doing wonderful." She watched her sister's body flinch and tense.

Tori's hand fell away from her head slowly and her head started to turn. "You?" Tori's eyes were like saucers and her lips were separated by an inch. Trina stretched her arms across the tops of the chairs at her sides.

The students returned to the stage, having heard Trina, and stared at their instructor with surprise. Tori shook her head and looked at her students with a smile. "Great job again," Tori said, "You're doing extremely well. Keep it up and we'll place high at the recital. Take thirty now…" Tori's smile faded and her eyes darted back to Trina. "I have matters to attend to."

"Pushing them a bit hard there, Tori. They are just kids."

"You have to push hard, the recital is tough." Tori swept her hand through her long hair and raised her shoulders. "They are doing exceptionally well. Considering the recital, I have to push." Tori narrowed her eyes and the skin around her nose creased. "What are you doing here, Trina? Shouldn't you be living it up in whatever condo you live in?"

"I don't live in a condo. I've been searching for you."

"Well. You found me." Tori crossed her arms and Trina uncrossed her legs. "Now go home. I'm busy. I'm sure your butler or whatever manservant you have is waiting up for you."

Trina raised her hand and curled all but her index finger. "I don't have 'servants'. How rich do you think I am?" Linda was right, Tori's tone was ripe with envy and bitterness.

"Richer than I am." Tori hopped off the stage and approached as the pianist began to play the _Ride of the Valkyries_. As Tori approached, it looked as though a trial of fire was left at her heels. "I spent all my money on an attorney to try and cover up any and all traces of my life."

Trina leaned forward, clasping her hands in her lap. "Why did you quit your dream, Tori?"

"What? I got pregnant." Tori's eyes moved toward the left and her mouth fell into a frown. "If you believe the paparazzi, I wanted an abortion and just gave my baby up without any thought to her life."

"I don't believe the paparazzi or popular opinion. I'm a prosecuting attorney, it's my job to listen to facts."

"Fact is." Tori glanced back to her and shrugged. "They're partly correct. The pregnancy is what started my trying to leave the spotlight." Tori rolled her eyes and twisted around, raising her voice at the pianist. "Would you quit playing that damn tune! It's not even on the schedule, you'll confuse the students."

The pianist stopped abruptly and then began to play Rossini's _The Barber of Seville_. Tori let out a heavy sigh and brought her hand up to the right side of her head.

"What do you want, Trina? To what do I owe this visit from California's most powerful attorney?"

"First. Why did you sign your students up for an _opera_ recital? Do they even know what the lyrics mean?"

Tori turned her back to her and stretched her arms out. "Look, classical music will always remain as it always has. Hundreds of years and people still listen to Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi. Their works will never fade away."

"Ah." There it was, what Trina was looking for. Tori wanted to be remembered, yet she chose to leave the spotlight because of her pregnancy. While she still wasn't sure what this meant, she couldn't understand why Tori was bitter towards her when it was her own decision to leave the spotlight.

"You're right Tori, but older people like us are the ones who listen to this kind of music. Not high school students."

"It is still an art. Opera trains the vocals more than any kind of music. In the end of the day, Classical is still the king of all music. It hails above rock, above pop, above rap and hip-hop. It has been around for centuries and will never fade."

"You didn't fade away involuntarily. You sought that."

"Yet it was pointless." Tori growled vehemently and dropped her hands to her waist. "I had a reason, a reason that made me go through a process that was going to take a few years. Then I lost that reason, and by that time I couldn't easily get back."

Tori looked over her shoulder and furrowed her brow. The front of her mouth remained shut as the ends opened. Trina could see Tori's teeth biting together and the intense frown lines around the corners of her mouth were digging deep. "So now I'm a nobody and you're a famous attorney that put away enough people to make you one of the most remembered."

Tori rolled her head in a circular motion as the pianist changed the tune to Ponchielli's _Dance of Hours_. "You must be so happy, Trina." Tori waved her hand in the air and scoffed. "I don't even know why you're here."

"I wanted to find you."

"And shove your success in my face?"

"No…" Trina stood up and squinted her eyes. "Do you really blame me for yourself?" Tori's shoulders fell and her head turned away with a scoffing huff.

"Do I blame you? Not when I was the one taking the steps to leave the public image. I blame you for leaving." Trina's eyebrows sank above her nose and her arms crossed over her chest. "You left me behind with mom and dad. I had no sister, thanks to you."

"Since when did that bother you? You didn't exactly do anything to suggest you cared about me any more than you did the attention you got from school."

"I didn't exactly think I had to." Tori faced her and raised her hand up, stretching out her fingers for a second before closing them into a ball. "The fact that you blamed me for everything wrong in your life, I suffered too from dad's neglect and mom's ignorance. I suffered through her affair. I thought in the end, maybe you'd take me with you but nope. You just cut me off like you did mom and dad."

Tori started to walk away but Trina grabbed her arm and spun her around, raising her voice. "You still did shit, you're not innocent either." Tori pulled away with a growl. There was a hurt look in her eyes but that was replaced by anger. "You let your friends walk all over me, you laughed with them. I couldn't tell you anything about them because you would have believed them over me just like Dad always did."

"Assume that if you want."

Trina clenched her teeth and sucked in the air through her teeth. Her chest expanded and sank with a rush and she pulled away. "You know what, no. I didn't come here to fight with you."

"No? Then what did you come here for." Tori walked three feet down the aisle, throwing her hands out. "Why does California's most famous attorney want to talk to a lowly choir director? All I'm trying to do is put Redwood City and Redwood High on the map by winning this recital."

"For someone that doesn't want public attention anymore…"

"Oh shut up."

She knew there was something more beyond the bitterness and resentment. In the moments Tori first saw her she'd seen it then, the flicker of joy. Tori had to still care for her, but years of resentment and feeling betrayal likely made it easy to push that joy down.

Tori continued to walk towards the stage, keeping her arms crossed. Her body remained tense and her steps were large. "Hate me if you want, Tori. I'm not giving up on you." Tori stopped halfway to the stage and turned her head partially. "You have two nieces and a nephew. I thought you might like to know that, to know them and that they deserve to know their aunt."

"If I wasn't good enough for you back then, why would I be good enough now? You threw us all away, now you've got everything you could ever want in life. Hell, you're more famous than _I_ am."

"This isn't about fame."

"Oh I know, you're one modest as hell attorney. That's a good thing, you should be. Don't let fame blind you, but my point is, what could you _possibly_ want from me? You've got three beautiful children, a fantastic career, probably a great husband. Lord knows you don't need a sister that cared more about her friends than you."

"That's not true." She paused and her eyes darted to the side. "Also, Beck and Jade are there. They'd like to see you as well." Tori leaned her head back, gazing up at the ceiling.

"I put the past behind me too Trina, why would I want to see anyone in that group of friends." Tori looked back at her and slanted her eyes. "Don't think I was ignorant to everything. There was a reason I fell away from them in college. The only one I ever saw again was Robbie, and that was one time."

Trina jerked her head back and her mouth fell open. Tori looked back to the stage and shrugged. "I know what Andre did to you as well. I lost contact with Beck and Jade shortly after graduation, but kept in touch with Andre for a couple years. One day he wound up drunk and asked me for a ride home…he bragged about hitting you. Saying he was glad we were still friends despite that."

Trina froze and a rush of cold air swept down her body. "Tori, I-" Tori continued for the stage, her clenched fists swung loosely at her sides and her voice was quiet.

"This is hardly the conversation to have here, Trina." She stopped just short of the stage and looked up to the ceiling. Tori's entire body sank in a crashing motion and a loud breath left her lips. "I live on Manor Ct. If that pleases you to know"

"So. You don't want to know your nieces and nephew?"

"I never said that." Tori climbed the stage and dusted off her pants. The stage lights revealed the shimmer of tears on the woman's cheeks.

"You know. I found mom first. She wasn't much different. You? I'm not giving up on you."

"I'm sorry for you." Tori cleared her throat and pulled at her collar. "Now, please leave. I'm working right now, and my students do not need to hear about my personal life."

* * *

It's not a rejection but it's not exactly the warmest welcome either. What do you think? Was Linda right in what she told Trina? Tori made great steps to cover her tracks, I wonder why.


	15. The Crime

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This chapter a vicious crime will occur. It goes in accordance with the plot, but I will warn you there may be some trigger parts for any victims of crime that may be reading this. So if you wish to skip the latter part of the chapter, feel free to do so.

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Chapter 15 (Crime)

"I'm surprised you didn't go with your mom." Rachel shrugged and folded her arms over her stomach. She sat in one of the chairs in Ryan's living room as he gently massaged her shoulders. Rebecca and Kevin were on the couch, watching.

While a couple days passed since their brush with Andre, she still felt like shit. The guilt over keeping this from her parents was too much. "I couldn't face her," she said while choking on her words. "What I did was unforgivable."

"She's your mom, she'd understand."

Rachel swept her finger across her eyes and shook her head. "I'll tell her what happened, I just…I need time." She leaned her head back and looked up at Ryan, smiling as her gaze met wish his. "Maybe we should tell them about us. Mom and Dad, your dad too."

"Are you sure?" He whispered. She knew her parents were going to be angry with her for the trip to Los Angeles, so it might not be the best time to tell them about her relationship with Ryan, but she was sick of hiding it from them.

"I've never kept anything from mom and dad before I met you, Ryan. You're the first thing I've ever hidden from them, and now this…" Ryan pulled his hands from her shoulders and walked to the couch. "They're going to know it was you that took us to Los Angeles. They're going to know what we did."

"Yeah." Kevin bowed his head and pat his hand on his knee. "I can't even imagine how enraged my parents are going to be. I mean they didn't even _know_ what Andre did, they've thought all these years he was a good person. Now they're going to know, they're going to know that _I_ knew and didn't tell them."

"My mom never told them."

"She had her reason. She didn't want to upset them." She was protecting them from that truth, and they were likely to understand it. Kevin slid his hand over his face, sighing heavily. "Ryan, where's your dad at?"

"Work."

"It's like six o'clock, how late does he work?"

"Fairly late. I get home and work on homework, then we have dinner at eight." Rachel didn't like it either, though she didn't have much of an opinion on the matter.

The sun was down and night was falling, and something in her was screaming so loud that her head throbbed with pain. She turned her head to the right and looked at Rebecca with a tiny smile.

"So Rebecca, Mom made contact with Aunt Tori yesterday." Rebecca smiled openly and brought her hands to her face. "She called Dad up and said she would be talking to her at her home today. Maybe you'll finally get to meet your mom."

"I hope so." Trina stayed the night at a motel in Redwood City, likely preparing to talk to Tori like she would prepare a case to go to trial. "She sounded like she wanted to be here for you, why did you ask her to stay in Redwood?"

"She's been trying so hard to find Aunt Tori, and now that she has, I don't want to distract her with my problems." Rebecca nodded once and Rachel sighed. "Besides, Mom said Aunt Tori seemed a little upset to see her, but at the same time, she was working when Mom walked in on her."

"Your aunt told her where she lived," Ryan replied, "That's a good sign at least." Rachel pulled her feet up to the cushion of the chair and wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her knees against her chest.

The sound of barking caused her to flinch. She jerked her head back and looked over her shoulders as Ryan's two dogs came running into the room. One was a golden lab and the other was a German shepherd.

She smiled as they began to race around the chair. Ryan pat the armrest and stood up. "Looks like Shadow and Slick need to go out." Slick was the name Ryan's dad bestowed upon the lab, since the pup managed to slip through just about everything when it was excitable. "Give me a few minutes."

"Alright." It usually took the dogs about ten or fifteen minutes to finish their business. It was odd that it took so long, but the veterinarians never said there was a problem.

Rebecca stood up with Ryan and looked towards the stairs. "Speaking of going out, I need to use the restroom myself. The restroom's upstairs, Ry?"

Ryan grabbed the two red leashes from a nearby stand and nodded. "Upstairs and third door on the left." The pair went off in their individual directions and Rachel pulled her legs tighter against her chest.

Kevin ran his hand over his neck and chuckled. "Weird that his dad owns a two story home, isn't it?" Rachel laughed as well, but she did know the reason for it.

"Mr. Hart is engaged to a woman with two kids. He got this house recently." Alan's fiancé wasn't planning on moving in until the marriage took place, but at least they were prepared for the addition. "Still, it does make it seem larger than it actually is with just Ryan and his Dad living here."

"I imagine." Kevin glanced at the square windows on the sides of the doors and stretched his left arm out across the top of the couch. "I'm surprised Ryan locks the front door when he's here."

"That's something Mr. Hart has him do. Protection really, I guess." She watched as the windows lit up from the lights of a car. She pursed her lips, wondering if Alan were coming home early, but just as soon as the lights appeared they shut off. "You know how protective parents can be."

"Siblings too." He laughed. "I'm always watching Katie like a hawk, mom and dad say I'm more protective of my little sister than they are."

"That's a good way to be, though. I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to Shawn and Michelle."

"Yeah, but you know you don't have to carry the weight of your family, right?" She smiled sadly and looked down to her feet. Kevin breathed in slowly and brought his arms away from the top of the couch. "Aunt Trina's got a great head on her shoulder, as does Uncle Jason. They seem like they can take care of themselves, but Ryan says you're always worrying about them."

"They're my parents. I'm protective of them too. I know I take it too far, I shouldn't have bothered going after Andre." She blew out heavily and closed her eyes. "It's just that I was so angry. I never thought anyone had the audacity to hurt my mom like that, and to think that he did that and got away with it…I crossed a line, I feel terrible."

"It's okay cuz." Kevin smiled reassuringly and she returned the smile with one of her own. "We'll talk to our parents about it. I'll be right there with you."

"Thanks."

She heard a sudden clicking and scratching sound that drew her attention to the door. Kevin looked as well, furrowing his brow. "What the hell is that?" He stood up and Rachel's body started to tense as she saw a shadowy figure appear in front of the left window.

Kevin started to approach but she called out to him. "Stay back, someone's out there." She jumped up and her eyes widened as something struck the window. Fragments and shards of glass scattered out like splinters of wood and the figure climbed in through the window in what seemed the blink of an eye.

The figure's left hand slipped on part of the broken window, causing the glass to slice through a black glove and draw blood that dripped out onto the window and ground.

In the man's right hand was a knife. Rachel's heart stopped and her hands flew up to her mouth as Kevin cried out in surprise. "It's Dean. He must have followed us back."

Dean's lips pulled away to reveal his bared teeth, shining in the light. "I'll teach you to humiliate my father like that." Kevin jumped in front of Rachel as Dean started to rush her.

"Don't you dare." Kevin threw his hands up as Dean brought the blade down and caught the man's wrist. Dean's fiery glare met Kevin's eyes and a growl vibrated from his throat. "I won't let you hurt my cousin."

Rachel ran around Kevin and shoved Dean away with a loud scream. Dean stumbled and fell back on the couch. His left hand flew up to his wrist as the fall made the knife in his hand slide against his hand. "You bitch." He leapt up and thrust the blade forward.

"No!" Kevin cried out and pushed Rachel to the side. She fell against the ground and looked up, gasping in horror as Dean's blade sank into Kevin's side. He grit his teeth and winced before collapsing to his knees.

"Kevin, no!" Rachel crawled over to him as he clutched his side. She pulled his hand away to look at the wound, breathing frantically. It didn't look as deep as she thought, but it still frightened her and drew tears to her eyes

Before she had a chance to react, a force threw her against the ground. She screamed out as Dean's knee crashed into her lower back. His bloodied hand slipped over her mouth and her eyes widened as his blade touched to her neck.

"Scream and I will kill you." Her heart started to race and her body trembled. He pulled his hand from her mouth and she gasped for air. She opened her mouth to scream while trying to fight her way out from under him, but she couldn't utter a sound.

His hand touched her waist and she froze. Whimpers fell from her trembling lips and she grabbed for the carpet. "No. Please." She could feel his fingers tightening around her shirt and pulling at it. Rachel dropped her head and tried to pull herself away from him before he could do anything to her. "Dean please, you don't want to do this. Please! I'm only sixteen."

"I don't care. You humiliated my father, I'm going to destroy you before I kill you. So shut up."

A growling sound filled the air and barking erupted like music to her ears. She gasped as Dean's grip on her loosened. "Ryan! Ryan help! Kevin's hurt!"

"Shit." Dean started to get up, but the dogs jumped onto him and bit into his clothing. "Get off me." His knife fell to the ground and he pushed himself up. Ryan rushed him next, slamming a fist into his gut and shoving him against the wall.

"Don't ever touch my girlfriend," Ryan growled with fire and hatred burning in his eyes. "Do you hear me? Don't you fucking touch her." Ryan threw Dean to the ground and put him in the similar hold he had Rachel, but grabbed the man's wrists and slammed his forearm down into the back of his neck.

Rachel crawled over to Kevin, tore off her socks and used them to compress against the wound. Kevin looked up at her, hissing in pain. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry." Sobs broke from her lips as she dropped her head to his body.

Every muscle in her body continued to tremble as fear ate away at her. When she heard sirens she looked over to the stairs to see Rebecca standing in the middle with a phone to her ear. Teardrops and fog filled the girl's glasses as tears poured from her eyes.

Outside they heard the sound of a car speeding away. It was a sign that Dean hadn't come alone, someone else had likely come as a getaway driver. This was planned.

She hugged her cousin closely, whimpering and shivering against him. "It's going to be okay Kevin. It's going to be okay." The two dogs stood in front of Dean, their mouths were twisted in a snarl with their fangs baring down on him.

"Don't move," Ryan hissed. "My dogs aren't violent, they won't hurt you unless you try to hurt us."

"It doesn't matter," Dean said with a chuckle. "Think about who my father is. He'll just pay off the cops and the lawyers. He'll hire the best attorney there is." Dean smirked and Rachel glared at him. "Celebrities don't get in trouble."

"You haven't met my mother, asshole. You're in San Francisco, mom won't let you get away. You made a terrible mistake."

"And your mouth keeps getting you into more trouble." Dean managed to push himself back enough to throw Ryan off him. Rachel's eyes widened as Dean swept up his knife and ran for her once more.

Shadow leapt up from the ground and clamped his jaws down onto Dean's arm, pulling the man down. "Shit, what is this, a trained dog?"

"He actually was a police dog," Ryan replied as officers ran into the door. "One of my dad's friends gave him to us when he retired." Ryan moved to Rachel's side and wrapped his arms around her.

She moved her hand up to his forearm and leaned back into his chest, whimpering as paramedics rushed to Kevin's side. Kevin was coated with sweat, his skin was pale and he was shivering as though the temperature in the room had dropped tremendously.

"This is my fault," Rachel whispered, "This is all my fault. I never-"

"Don't say that." Ryan hugged her close and she buried her face into his chest. "It's not your fault."

"This wouldn't have happened."

"You didn't know. It's going to be okay."

"What if-what if Kevin dies? Aunt Jade and Uncle Beck will hate me."

"No they won't. Kevin's going to be fine." She took a deep breath and slid her arms around him.

"Just hold me. Please. Don't let go." She felt a heavy blanket fall around them and looked up to see a policewoman peering down at them. She had long blonde hair and a nametag that read 'Benson'. The woman knelt down and set her hand onto Rachel's shoulder.

"It will be okay," Officer Benson said. She recognized the woman as the mother of the classmate her little brother had a crush on. Rachel smiled at the familiarity and thought about how often she would tease Shawn about the crush. "I won't ask you to move outside if you can't, but this is now a crime scene. I do need your statement however."

"His-His father is Andre Harris." The officer frowned and Rachel's voice shook with anger. "Don't-don't let him pay you off. Please. He said…he said his father would pay off the cops. My momma's Trina Tyler, she won't let it happen. Please."

"Don't worry. I'm taking charge of this investigation. I don't accept bribes from suspects." Her heart rose as a confident twinkle shone in the officer's eyes and a reassuring smile formed at her lips. "I don't care who it is. I still need to get your statement, but that can wait. I know right now you're emotional and you're frightened, so you can take as long as you need but I still have to get your statement before I leave. Okay?"

"Yes ma'am." Rachel looked past the officer. Just outside the front door she could see Kevin on a stretcher being guided into an ambulance. Fresh tears poured over her eyes and she reached her hand out. "Kevin…Kevin's my cousin." The officer looked outside and hummed.

"The injured boy is Kevin, I assume? Paramedics say he will be just fine sweetie, but he is going into shock."

"Shock? No." She was sure he was going to the primary hospital. Her father was currently at work, which meant he was the likeliest doctor to be called in to stitch up the wound. "Oh god, my dad."

"Who is your father, dear?"

"Jason Tyler. He's a surgeon. Please, he can't find out about his nephew like this."

"I'll make sure the paramedics know. I need you to take a deep breath, okay? Go outside with your boyfriend, stay with him, and I'll check on you just as soon as we're done processing the scene. Okay?"

"Y-Yes ma'am." She let Ryan help her to her feet and walked outside with him. She took one fleeting look at the house, still shaking. As she looked at a nearby police car and saw Dean sitting in the back, she started to feel faint.

Ryan lifted his arm protectively, covering her view with the blanket. They turned around and she pressed herself against him, hugging his waist and drenching his chest with her tears. Rebecca came up beside her and hugged her as well, joining with sobs of her own.

* * *

All say aye if you think Andre and his son are about to bite it. So, there's the crime. A bit of a subplot but important to bring everyone together while not only extending Trina's range as a lawyer will be the case surrounding this crime. So yeah plot crucial. Good thing Ryan and those dogs were there,so what are your thoughts?


	16. A Mother's Reason

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Allow me to add this disclaimer to answer some questions that some people might be wondering. One, I'm working at a public defender's office so a lot of legal knowledge is coming from there. Now for people who seem to not be able to understand this: CHARACTER BELIEFS DO NOT ALWAYS REFLECT THE AUTHOR'S BELIEF. Now without further ado, enjoy the chapter.

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Chapter 16 (A Mother's Reason)

"Why am I not surprised you showed up?" Tori led Trina into her home and through the small one story home. "I'm having my air conditioner fixed, it's like a hotbox in here, so let's go out back." Trina nodded and looked around the home as she walked.

The walls were bare of any photos, leaving only furniture scattered about. Windows let the sun light up the home, but no curtains were there to shield anyone from the UV rays. Although now the moon was up and its neon light splashed through the house, painting the area blue.

She was taken aback by the emptiness of her sister's house and wondered if giving up Rebecca had anything to do with this.

After all, a person's home spoke a great deal about the owner.

Trina walked outside with Tori and her eyes fell onto the large 8-shaped pool. They had a roof above their heads that provided shade to the cushioned pool chairs nearby. "This is what it's like _not_ to have kids, Trina." Tori spread her arms out and walked to one of the two chairs. Trina raised an eyebrow and sat on the other one. "To not be married, not have children."

"You had a child." Tori hung her elbow over the back of her chair and frowned at the pool. Trina put her purse down beside the chair and looked to the pool. It was lit up by the lights beneath the water, giving the clear water a pristine look. "You chose to give her up."

Tori's eyebrow rose and she turned her head, giving Trina a suspicious glance. She knew what she had done, and she wasn't ashamed of it. Nowhere had any old press stories mentioned that Tori had a daughter or a son, the detail had managed to be kept under wraps, so she had just revealed knowing the gender.

Sure it could be brushed off as a guess, or even something that mattered little, but Tori didn't look as though she was buying either option. "Yes," Tori replied, "And if you believe paparazzi and the like, then you believe I didn't want a child. You believe I gave her a random reporter and never planned to be found again. You believe I was an arrogant, shallow _bitch_ that wanted to abort her because the pregnancy was what ruined my career. No doubt that's what my daughter believes now."

"I already told you, I don't believe any of that."

"You should." Tori scoffed an folded her arm over her knee. "Everybody else seems to. Everybody seems to have made their own judgements of me from the day of that party." Tori waved her hands in the air, speaking with a mocking tone. "Oh look Tori Vega's the next Miley Cyrus. She's a slut that has one night stands and gets drunk on occasion, she probably does drugs too!"

A distant look came over Tori's face and she gazed at the empty pool. Trina watched in silence as her sister breathed easy. Tori's fingers closed, then relaxed and her mouth twisted into a deep frown. "As if celebrities didn't have enough privacy invasions."

Trina's brow furrowed and she started to reach for her sister, but withdrew her hand. She could tell Tori was upset about this, and from what she remembered, Tori hated to be touched when she was angry.

"You don't know what happens to the children of celebrities, Trina. They have no hope of privacy, no chance to live a normal life. They will never live the life of children." Trina looked towards the pool and pictured a young Rebecca swimming like a fish through the water.

Tori started to smile and her eyebrows curled together as moisture glazed over her eyes. "Children deserve to live their lives, and they're young, they can't deal with the slander and lies like adults can."

"That may be true."

"I became accustomed to it." Tori looked to her and squinted. "I knew when the paparazzi would follow me, I knew when they'd slander me or take something out of context." Tori raised her hand and moved it sideways in the air. "Tori Vega buys large hamburger, shake and fries. She doesn't care about eating healthy."

Trina's heart sank as Tori clenched her fist and brought her hand down. "Tori Vega has drunken one night stand with old friend at a party, no longer sweet and innocent. Of course I knew the minute my kid was born they'd treat her worse than the average child celebrity. She'd know she was the product of a one night stand, she'd be harassed and followed. There'd be constant questions about how much I cared about her or how good or bad I would treat her as a parent."

Listening to Tori's calm and quiet voice, albeit simmering with anger, she was struck by a startling realization. "You gave her up to protect her." Tori closed her eyes and shrugged.

"I was ready to be a mother but for nine months I was hounded. I was annoyed, pissed, and of course I looked pissed in every photo the paparazzi took of me so I _must_ have been unhappy."

"You did stop touring."

"I was ready to leave that life so I could be with my daughter, but I knew it was going to take years to disappear." Tori swept her fingers through her hair and frowned. "Bradley was a good man, a good friend." Trina froze, unsure of what to say next. "Amazingly nobody knew my connection to him, probably because he was a reporter. I gave her to him, told him to adopt her legally and wait for me."

"You were going through the process of 'disappearing'. You couldn't do that with your daughter present."

Tori sniffled and brushed her finger against the bottom of her nose. "It would take years. Four to five years to be exact. My attorney would try and meticulously find every instance of me on the net and erase it while I made a plan for my life. While doing that, I didn't want the paparazzi snapping pictures of my baby girl."

"My daughter says there's nothing of you after the pregnancy photos of you that are still out there."

"I know." Tori snapped her fingers and her eyebrows rose. "Believe me I was hounded, followed, there were articles calling me shallow and saying I was the woman that gave up a baby to a random stranger."

"Where are those articles?"

"Every time something about me popped up, my attorney was there to erase it as quickly as he could." Trina nodded and Tori flicked her index finger out towards the north. "I met Linda when I was trying to find a town outside San Francisco. I wanted to be near where Bradley and baby were but also outside of a major town without being in such a small town that everyone would know who I was."

"I see. Linda's the one that requested the school board hire you."

"Right. She gave me a chance, she told the teachers and the students to ignore who I was. I changed my name to Wilson, since that was Bradley's last name and the name that my little girl was going to take." Tori looked downcast and her face grew long. Her demeanor and tone became forlorn and she looked off with a scoff.

"By the time I was settled and the attorney was done, by the time I was no longer being hounded by the paparazzi, it was too late. Bradley had been murdered by some thug and my daughter was gone." Tori swept her hand through her hair and the anger returned to her voice. "I couldn't find her through foster care, and eventually one social worker blocked me off, claiming that I was a bad mother for 'what I'd done' and so she was going to make sure I never got to my daughter."

"That's not legal." Tori rolled her eyes as Trina straightened her back and shook her head. "The birth parent has every right these days to know who has the child and what the family is like. That social worker should have been fired for that."

"A fat lot of good that does me now, Trina." She flinched and looked down, folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Can I ask. Who's the father? 'Old friend' seems to suggest…" Tori pushed her fingers into her hair, holding her hand in place on the side of her head. Her shoulders rose and her chest shot out with an angry huff.

"Fucking Robbie Shapiro." Trina's jaw fell open and Tori glanced over, narrowing her eyes. "He was visiting the town, a paid guest of the party being thrown that night. We met up just to talk about old times. We became drunk, and the next thing I know I'm waking up in a bed with half my clothes strewn out on the floor."

She turned her head, unable to respond. It was hard to contemplate, but she wasn't going to question it. Tori didn't seem interested in talking about the subject either.

It gave her a sickening feeling in her stomach, which only added to the pit she felt just before arriving to Tori's place. At some point of time she'd been struck with a terrible fear, feeling like something was dreadfully wrong, and she managed to push it away to focus on Tori but it hadn't stayed down long.

"I've never seen him again after that either, so don't ask." Tori shook her head and dropped her hand to her knee. "Moron was always obsessed with me because he couldn't have Cat."

She thought back to what Ryan had been saying about his mother. Her chest tightened more and the pit in her stomach grew. "Starting to sound like he and Cat really would be a perfect couple…" Tori raised an eyebrow and turned her head.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing. It's just this boy I think my daughter's dating. His mom…It isn't something I should bring up." Tori rolled her head to the side and hummed at her.

"You don't sound happy that your daughter's dating someone."

"I don't mind that she's dating someone as long as he's a good person, but she's not allowed to date until college and I'm more upset that she might be keeping this a secret."

Tori threw her head back and laughed. "I can see why, if you haven't allowed her to date." Trina hummed and Tori reached over, wagging her hand in the air. "Tell me more about your family. Enough about me, you're the one trying to reconnect."

"My oldest, Rachel, is sixteen years old. I'm married to Sikowitz's nephew, Jason."

"Mhm, I remember him. I knew you were dating him so I'm not surprised you ended up with him." Trina smiled and closed her eyes.

As she thought about her daughter, the terror inside her rose up again and her throat began to close as her breath thickened. "Um. My son, Shawn, is twelve. Then Michelle is eight." She pulled her hand up to her chest and raised her eyebrows as she felt the swift palpitations of her heart.

"You mentioned Beck and Jade earlier. Why? How and why are they even a part of your life right now?"

"They're married."

"Not surprised."

"Beck is Jason's half-brother. Jason's father had an affair a long time ago with Beck's mother." Tori's jaw dropped open and she jerked back. "They just reconnected, and that made me want to find you. I thought my children deserved to know their family at least."

"Yeah well, I wish I could have warned you about mom. As far as Dad goes? I don't know."

"He seems to be better, and I'm giving him a chance."

Trina cleared her throat and looked down to her purse. "I should tell you about Rebecca." Tori raised an eyebrow and her teeth clenched together. "Rebecca found me."

"Don't tell me you…" Tori spoke softly and envy flashed before her eyes along with anger and recognition. "Rebecca was the name Bradley and I had chosen for-I swear to god Trina if you found her and I couldn't even locate her after all this time." Tori breathed in deep and Trina reached down for her purse.

"I prosecuted Bradley's killer. Rebecca followed looked up to me and followed my cases all these years. She actually made contact with me a while back." Tori threw her hands up to her head and let out a frustrated scream. "Tori?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm _happy_ that I know where she is but god it had to be you."

"Would you rather it be someone else?"

"No! I just…" Tori rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Never mind." Trina removed her phone from her purse, still feeling like something was terribly wrong. When she saw the lit screen, her hands began to tremble. "What's the matter over there?"

"I have several missed calls." Her phone had been on vibrate the entire time, she put it down so she wouldn't be interrupted. "From Jason, from Beck and Jade, and Rachel. Something's wrong, I knew something was wrong, I could feel it."

She also had multiple voicemails left and started to check them when Jade's name popped up on the screen. She answered the call and put it on speaker. "Trina, thank god," Jade said. There was an urgent tone in her voice and it was laced with fear. "We've been trying to reach you for the last, god where are you."

"With Tori. What's going on?" Jade's voice was trembling, and in the background Trina could hear a multitude of voices and beeping noises as though they were in a hospital.

Tori leaned over, waving her hand in the air. "Hey Jade. Long time."

"Yeah no time. Trina, you have to come to the hospital now. Something's happened to our children. Something terrible." Trina's heart stopped and she watched Tori turn her eyes up to her. "Oh god. I-I can't believe they did this. God. Trina, they went after Andre."

She felt her blood run cold and immediately she feared the worst. She didn't think Rachel would try to confront that man, and of all the people in her past she didn't want her daughter running into, Andre made the top of the list.

"What?" Her voice shot out as a scream at the top of her lungs. Her tone was laced with panic, so much that she couldn't be angry at her daughter for going behind her back. "Our children did what? My daughter did _what?"_

Nobody in her life needed to be in contact with Andre. It had been thirty years, he was no longer a part of her life and a part of her past. Her heart began to race as she prayed Jade misspoke.

"All four of them. Rachel, Kevin, Ryan, Rebecca." Tori's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose high. Trina glanced at her sister, then back to the phone with a growl. "Ryan and Kevin tried to protect Rachel. Ryan saved her."

She pressed her lips firmly together and tiny cracks began to protrude from them as she replied with a firm and dark voice. "Jade. What the fuck happened to my daughter. What happened to our children?"

"Rachel's fine. Ryan's with her, so is Rebecca." Jade whimpered and Trina could hear her pacing the floor. "Kevin. The doctors say he's in stable condition." Jade was beginning to hyperventilate, and Trina's concern was growing by the second. "Dean Harris. Andre's son. He followed them, attacked them. Trina please, you have to get to the hospital."

"I'm on my way." She hung up the phone and shot up, yanking her purse strap over her shoulder. "Goddamn it, if I get my hand on the man's throat I'm going to tear it out." Tori stood with her, her mouth was stretched into a straight line and her eyebrows flattened above her eyes. "He's already done enough, 'he's not allowed to hurt my daughter too."

"I'm going with you."

"You don't have to…"

"Rebecca was with them. I'm going. You said you weren't giving up on me, well I'm not ready to give up on my daughter." Trina nodded and started for the door, instructing Tori to hurry up and get in the car.

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What do you think? Tori's answered quite a bit of nagging questions it would seem. Unfortunately this reunion couldn't happen at a worse time, but I imagine now Tori's probably not going to turn Trina away. Although that much should have been known as of her debut appearance since she did give Trina the option by telling her where her address is. Let's hope her reunion with Rebecca will go well as well. Does anything catch your attention? Anyone's reaction to anything, something anyone said or did? Tell me your thoughts.


	17. Won't Back Down

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 17 (Won't Back Down)

Racing down the interstate, Trina blared her horn at every driver she passed and shouted at them while passing them. "Get out of my fucking way or suffer the consequences." The vein in her neck was bulging and her eyes burned the road ahead of her. Her mind was filled with rage, grief, horror and a number of emotions.

It didn't matter what Jade told her. From what she understood, Kevin had been stabbed, which meant Dean had a knife. All she could do was imagine the worst until she actually saw and confirmed that Rachel was safe. She visualized her daughter lying beneath a white sheet, and passing the two or three cemeteries between Redwood City and San Francisco didn't ease the fear inside.

Her phone began to ring but since it was placed in her cup holder and she was going so fast, she didn't feel comfortable answering. "Tori. Answer that." Tori nodded and picked up the phone. "Put it on speaker please."

"M-Momma?" Rachel's voice startled her and in an instant she felt a tiny bit of relief poking its way through the fear in her. "Momma. Are you angry with me?"

"Angry?" This wasn't the time to yell at her daughter, but she was terrified more than she was angry. She almost had a heart attack fearing what Andre could have done to her, now she couldn't imagine what his _son_ did to her. "I'm not angry at you sweetheart. It's not your fault."

"It would have never happened if it wasn't for me. It was my stupid idea."

"No. You couldn't know what would happen." Her knuckles grew white as she tightened her fingers around the steering wheel. "I had a feeling you overheard that. Andre is-that man-I never should have let you go without saying something. It doesn't matter right now. Are you okay? What happened sweetie?"

"He…He stabbed Kevin. Rebecca was upstairs and Ryan was out back. Momma. He tried to-he tried-he was trying to take off my clothes." Rachel's voice broke and a sob trembled from Rachel's lips. Trina began to breathe heavily, and with each pant, her rage grew. "Momma, if Ryan hadn't stopped him." Her heart stopped and she jerked the wheel to the side, causing her car to swerve into the other lane. Tori screamed out as Trina's nostrils flared. "Momma!"

The cars in the other lane slammed their brakes and sounded their horns, but Trina ignored them and swerved to straighten her car. "Mommy's fine, Honey." Tori breathed heavily and stared at her with wide eyes.

"You better pull over and let me drive." Trina growled and Tori snapped her fingers, hissing angrily. "Now. Your daughter needs you." She complied by pulling into the shoulder and switching seats with Tori as quickly as possible.

"Mommy's here." She brought the phone up to her mouth and turned her eyes to Tori, watching as her sister pulled into the lane. "Rachel, baby, are you badly hurt?"

"No. Ryan saved me. His dogs, he has two and one was trained as a police dog once. They stopped Dean and he pinned him down. Rebecca called the police. Where are you momma?"

"I'm on my way to the hospital. What about you baby?"

"I'm at the hospital. Aunt Jade and Uncle Beck were looking after Shawn and Michelle while Daddy was at work. They're all here now." Rachel chuckled through a sob. "You should see Shawn, momma. He's pacing like a soldier and Michelle won't let me go. They think I'm still in danger or something…"

"They're worried about you sweetheart."

"I know." Rachel took a deep breath. "Momma I'm sorry I didn't talk to you. I know I should have told you I heard what you said about Andre and about your ex. I just reacted, I'm sorry. I wish I hadn't gone to confront him. I…I'm really sorry. You're not angry with me?"

Trina closed her eyes and shook her head. "No I'm not." She couldn't fault her daughter for reacting. If anyone was to fault for what happened, it was Andre and his son. "You're right, you should have come to me first, but what his son did to you, he is at fault."

"Momma. There's another attorney here, a prosecutor, he's arguing with the police officer. He says Andre's too powerful and the case needs to be dismissed." Trina jerked her head back and Tori looked over.

She wasn't going to let stone be unturned. Once she saw that her daughter was okay, she would be able to calm down. Whether or not she was deemed irrational, she was not letting this case go unnoticed. "Oh don't you worry about that sweetheart, I'm going to be the one prosecuting this."

"What?"

"If that attorney is a prosecutor it likely means he works for me. So, you can tell him that _I_ am taking over the case and if he has any problems with that, he can pack his bag and expect to be out of the office by tomorrow. He won't work for San Francisco's Prosecutor office."

"O-Okay…"

"Honey I know you're scared, you're hurting." She breathed in slowly and wiped the tears from her eyelids and cheeks. "I want you to tell me exactly what happened when you went to see Andre."

It tore her apart to know that she wasn't able to protect Rachel. She knew something was wrong and she blamed herself for not being there. "Well Dean let us into the party at his father's mansion and he led us to Andre's room. I just wanted to know why he would hurt you, that's all, and he upset me by saying all these nasty things about you."

"I see."

"I wasn't thinking, Momma. I went downstairs and I told all his guests that he hurt someone he knew after she'd been assaulted." Trina closed her eyes and her mouth sank into her cheeks. "I let everyone know he was an asshole and stormed out. He or his son, I'm not sure which, started shouting about how I would regret it."

"They threatened you? Honey, when _was_ this?"

"A few days ago. While you were driving to San Diego."

"I see."

"Am I grounded, momma?"

"Sweetheart, the first thing on my mind is that you're safe. The last thing on my mind right now is grounding you for running off to Los Angeles without talking to me first." She took a deep breath and struggled to calm herself. "Rachel. I want you to know that I love you very much, and nothing you do will ever change that."

"I love you too, momma. I keep asking Uncle Beck and Aunt Jade if they're mad at me, they say they're not."

"If they say they aren't, then they aren't. The important thing is that all of you are okay."

"When are you going to get here?"

"I'm almost there honey." She wanted to talk to Jason, but she was too terrified to let Rachel off the line. The pain and fear was clear in the teenager's voice, and she wanted desperately to be there to soothe her.

Trina struck the mute button for a second and looked at Tori with a growl. "I swear to god Tori. He may have hit me, but for his son to hurt my daughter like this, I'll put both of them away for the rest of their lives if I have to."

"I'm just surprised you're going to try. You know Andre's going to hire the best attorney money can buy."

"Changes nothing." Andre may not have had anything to do with his son's deed, but that mattered little to her. Indirectly he may have harmed her daughter, and he was going to pay. He could waste all his money on a cockamamie attorney if he wanted. She might have let him slide thirty years ago, but now she would destroy him at the slightest chance she got. "He made the wrong enemy."

"Heh." Tori rolled her eyes and smirked. "Like you need something else to go down in history for. Andre's got to be one of the most famous musicians in the nation, and you're putting his son away."

"I'd put him away too if I learned any evidence of his involvement." She looked towards her phone, listening as Rachel talked to her siblings.

Once they were at the hotel, Trina wasted no time running through the halls. She met Jason first outside the doors leading into the hallway and collapsed into his arms. He held her up with his hands cupping her elbows. When she looked into his eyes, she saw a look of terror and rage, mixed together as she'd never seen before.

"Our daughter was hurt by Andre Harris's son, the doctors wouldn't let me in the room while operating on the nephew I _just met_ as he's moved to the ICU, and our daughter has been in a secret relationship with someone. I don't know who to strangle first, Harris. Ryan. Or the doctors."

"Save it for Harris." She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. "Ryan saved our daughter's life as far as I'm concerned, and the doctors saved Kevin's."

"Oh, and an attorney-you were right in that he's from your office-is saying we should let this slide. We should let that boy get away with what he did because Andre's 'too important'."

"The hell he is." Trina brushed past him and pushed her way through the doors. Rachel was several feet ahead, sitting on a hospital bench. Megan was beside her, her arms wrapped tightly around her older sister's waist, and Shawn was pacing in front of her. Also beside her was Ryan, with his arm protectively around her shoulders.

Rachel looked up and her eyes lit up. "Momma…" Megan and Shawn glanced over and Rachel stood slowly.

Trina ran for her daughter as though the ground were crumbling away at her feet and she threw her arms around her, drenching her with tears. "My baby. I'm here."

Ryan stood up from the bench and kept his head bowed. It was then that Trina noticed his father, Alan, seated as well with his arms crossed. "Mrs. Tyler." Ryan's voice trembled. "I know it's a bad time, but it might be good to tell you that I've been dating your daughter."

She reached her hand out, taking his in hers. She met his eyes and smiled behind her tears. "Thank you for keeping her safe. For staying with her."

"I couldn't leave her after that."

"And if you did, I wouldn't approve of you. We will talk about this relationship later." She heard a door nearby open up and turned to see Beck and Jade walking out of the hospital room with Rebecca and Katie in tow.

Jade's hands were over her mouth and her cheeks were stained with tears. Beck had his arm around her shoulders and his hand firmly in place. "His condition is stable," Beck said quietly. Relief rolled away from his mouth and he wiped the sweat from his brow. "The knife missed anything vital. The doctors expect a full recovery. Thank god."

Jade pulled her hands away from her face and approached Trina carefully. "You didn't tell us about Andre. Why not?" Trina took a moment to collect herself, trying to think of what to tell Jade. There was much to say, and much Beck and Jade still didn't know.

"I was trying to protect you from that." To protect them from him, they surely would have confronted him had they known, and if they knew the full extent of Andre's involvement, they would surely confront him now. Rachel had already done so, she didn't want anything happening to them now.

"Beck already seemed traumatized by other things, the last thing I wanted to do was make him feel like shit because of something his best friend had done."

"I see. I understand."

Beck uncurled his right hand and moved it over his mouth. His eyes closed and a slight tremor ran through his body. "This is unforgivable," Beck muttered, "What Andre's done. What his son did."

"More than you know." She let out an exhale and ran her hand over her neck. "More than you know."

Beck removed his hand, as though pushing it away with his shuddering gasp. "Question. Where's Tori? You said she was with you."

"She decided to wait in the car. She'd like to see you all, but said now wasn't an appropriate time."

She glanced at a wall corner, now hearing the argument Rachel spoke of. She clenched her fists and excused herself. "I'm not looking the other way," shouted a female officer, "I'm not that kind of cop."

"I'm telling you I won't prosecute this. There's no way we're going to win. He's too damn powerful, too damn rich, and he's going to hire an attorney that will likely throttle the victims."

"Victim blaming is no longer allowed in the courts. Lawyers cannot accuse the victim, cross-examine the victim. The victim is not the one on trial." The officer smacked her hand into her palm and growled as the attorney turned away and ran his hand over his neck. "We've got the suspects blood on the scene, we have the weapon used, we have a list of charges. You'd be a fool not to take this case! Anyone knows the prosecution would win."

"Yeah. If it were a normal case, not the son of the nation's most loved musician."

"You're exaggerating."

Trina stepped up behind the attorney, and the officer fell silent. The man turned around and his jaw fell open. "Mrs. Tyler! You've made it."

"Yeah, and Charles? I'll prosecute this case. If you have any problems with that, feel free to clean out your office tomorrow."

"But Mrs. Tyler, the defendant is-"

"I don't care who he is. It's what he is that matters. 0A0ttempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon-"

"Premeditation as well," the officer replied, "The suspect clearly followed the victims and knew where they were days after the initial contact. Breaking and entering as well. The victims also say they heard a car speeding away, and we've found skid marks at the scene of the crime-someone else was involved in this."

Trina's left hand rested on her waist and her right hand rubbed over her chin. She narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand from her chin, pointing at the officer. "Find that driver. Anyone involved…"

"I've already got my people on it Mrs. Tyler."

"Good." Her eyes darted at Charles and his muscles started to tense. "Do you have any further comments, Mr. Baker." She could see him beginning to sweat. He shook his head and mustered a nervous smile. "Good. Be on your way. I need to be with my family for now."

There was no doubt in her mind that the first thing Andre would try to do was pay her off or to pay the cops off. She would be ready to bring hell down on anyone that accepted his bribes.

This was the reason she was taking over. Someone strong needed to handle this case. "Officer, I want all the facts on my desk. Got it? Don't hasten, but work as quickly and efficiently as possible."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts here?


	18. Nightmare

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Trigger warning in this chapter. There's a part of the conversation here with Dean that you can skip if you need to. You'll know what it is, but the minute Trina leans over the intercom and tells the people listening to turn off their sound, you can move to the end of the chapter where Trina is making her way back to her car.

* * *

Chapter 18 (Nightmare)

Trina walked into the jail, her mouth was wrapped in a snarl of annoyance and her eyebrows were lying flat over her eyes. Rather than reconnect with her sister like she wanted, she was told an inmate wished to speak to her.

Without asking, she knew the inmate.

A guard walked with her to the visitation room and opened the door for her. Inside was a steel table where Dean Harris sat in his green and white striped jail uniform. His ankles were cuffed and a chain rose to the cuffs on his wrists, and his hands were positioned flat on table.

"Where's your attorney?" She sat down across from him, her eyes narrowed and her lips split an inch apart. The right corner of Dean's mouth pushed his cheek up, causing it to fold over his lip.

"I told him to get lost. I don't want to talk to you about the case." Trina turned fully towards him, placed her manila folder on the table and flattened her palms on top of it.

She couldn't believe the man told his attorney to get lost. Regardless of whether or not she was prosecuting the case, or even investigating it, she was a part of the court. He would need his defense attorney, but she didn't mind if he decided to be an idiot.

"Besides. Once Dad pays the bail and whatnot, I'll be a free man."

"Bail. Bond. Doesn't mean you're free, it means you don't have to rot in jail waiting for your trial." Her right eyebrow rose and her head tilted to the right. "It also means if you skip town, or your bondsman can't find you, we send a bounty hunter after you."

Dean rolled his head to the side and his eyes moved to the wall. "You the one investigating?"

"How much do you know about how the court of law works?" She put her hand to her chest and leaned back. "I'm the prosecutor. I'm the one that's going to stand in front of the judge, the jury, and tell them to put you in prison."

His smirk faltered and he leaned forward, letting his eyelids fall halfway. "So mama bear's going to put her daughter's attacker away? You must not know who my father is."

"You must not know who I am." She leaned back against the chair and crossed her arms. "Katrina Tyler, chief prosecutor, attorney at law. I've put away serial murderers, serial rapists, bank robbers, would be public assassins…" Trina smirked back at him and leaned forward, watching his reaction closely.

His right finger was tapping the table and his knee right side was shaking. His eyes darted off to the side and his shoulders rose.

"I think I can put you away too based off the facts that we have." She opened the folder and started to hum. "As the defendant you have the constitutional right to know what the prosecution has against you. We have the murder weapon, we have your blood on the window and taken from Rachel Tyler's face…" Her eyes flicked up to him and she stopped from reading the rest of the list. "Would you like me to continue? This is _so far_ , and they're still investigating."

"I'm not afraid. I'll make bond."

"You might, but you see, I have to go to your bond hearing." Her smirk grew and she watched his eyes shoot back into hers. "I have to tell the judge why I think he should deny your bond. Based on the facts of course."

"Facts, huh?"

She clasped her hands together and leaned forward, placing her hands neatly atop the papers in the folder. She remained calm as she stared into his eyes. The temperature in the room seemed to rise and tension grew as she watched the sweat form around his hairline.

"Do you know why it is I'm a good attorney? Why people say I'm strong and why people seem to think I'm-"

"'The most powerful attorney in California'? No. Why?"

"Because I'm more than capable of keeping myself from getting emotionally charged over a case. Even now, I may want to throttle you, but I know how to hold back."

"Oh?" Dean chuckled softly and leaned forward. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Because you know what? I wish I'd taken a gun instead of a knife." She narrowed her eyes and pushed herself back. "Because if it wasn't for those dogs, I would have taken down that boyfriend, fucked your daughter and put a hole in the back of her head." His tongue swept across his lips, leaving a glaze of saliva over them. "She looked like she would have been a sweet fuck."

Her stomach flipped and rage began to boil inside her. Trina closed her eyes and exhaled through her nostrils after breathing in deep and slow.

"I see. Your defense attorney would probably not have liked for you to have said that just now." Dean raised an eyebrow and her eyes opened partially. While the fire was burning in her eyes, she was keeping herself calm and stoic with her slow, quiet breathing.

"You're telling me that didn't affect you? You're inhuman."

"I'm inhuman? You're trying to provoke me, it's obvious. No, it affects me. I'll admit, I may or may not want to tear into you as much as my husband does, but he's more than likely to attack and react physically and emotionally than I am."

"How can you just separate yourself from the fact that this is your daughter? She's not just some random victim."

"Nobody is a random victim. Everyone is someone's daughter, someone's son, somebody's husband or wife. I look at every victim as though they are part of my family, I associate that person with my family and I treat them as such. The fact that Rachel is my child and Kevin my nephew means that as much vigor as I defend victims, I will do so tenfold."

"What I did to her, what I was going to do to her, it is such a terrible act. You should react with greater force, you should be horrified."

"I am like any mother, but I've also seen worse. Hell, _I've_ been put through worse." Dean threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh right, what Dad told me about. Yeah, he said you were just making an issue out of nothing." She rolled her head to the side and squinted her eyes. "He said that's what you always did. I'm sure what I did to your daughter was worse."

Flashes of memory shot through her brain and her muscles tensed as she tried to push down the bile growing in her stomach. "Worse?" Her eyes darted to the camera on the wall, then to the intercom system beside her. She moved her hand to the button and leaned in, speaking as softly as possible. "Turn off your sound, when you see me lean back in to the intercom, turn it back on."

"Will do," answered the voice. She heard a click and watched Dean's eyebrows rise high into his hairline.

Trina stretched her arms in front of her, shaking her wrists to loosen up her cuffs, then drew out a heavy sigh. "You seem like a very clean person, Dean. Very neat, very tidy, not one for anything filthy."

"Um." The officers observed how Dean was always complaining about germs and wanting to wash his hands. He was germaphobic.

"I've seen a lot of victims that went through a lot of crap. I can almost guarantee you would never be able to put someone through what I went through."

"He said you deserved it, that you were making a big fuss over nothing. I was actually going to attack your daughter before those dogs came in. I couldn't fight them off with a knife."

"My rapist had a gun." Dean's eyes widened and he shuffled nervously in his seat. Trina bent her elbow on the table and put her two forefingers to her temple and her thumb to her jaw. Her eyes closed and the muscles in her forehead tensed as a vein pushed up in her neck. "I've always been thankful that no victim I've defended has gone through what I have, because that isn't something that many people walk away from and go on to live normal lives like I have."

She was thankful Jason was so supportive of her in those first few years, because that strength was something she needed to keep herself alive.

"What did you go through, if it was that bad? I mean it can't have-"

"He attacked me from behind." She felt a thickness in her throat and swallowed it down with a grunt. "Slammed his gun into my back, then kicked me to the ground." Dean started to tense and sweat was now beginning to drip down his face.

She started to tremble as she explained how her ex dragged her into the restroom and the events that he did next. As she recounted this step by step, she watched Dean grow increasingly disgusted and distraught.

"Oh god."

It wasn't satisfying but as she relived it and fought against the burning in her throat, seeing Dean writhe and live through her pain as well did help her to not have to deal with this alone. In a small twisted way.

Her left hand clenched so tight that her knuckles began to turn white and the veins in the back of her hand bulged. She thought about how the man tried to drown her and recounted it the least way possible. Her hand moved to her chest and Dean raised his hands over his mouth and a tremor started to shoot through his body.

Her voice broke and she shook her head from side to side. She asked him a personal question, choking back a gasp and waiting as he started to whimper. It was in regards to a sexual act that she always thought not only disgusting but degrading as it was filthy for multiple reasons. With as clean as Dean was, he would likely dislike it as well.

"N-No, I think that's disgusting."

"So do I. I didn't get a choice." She heard him choke and opened her eyes partially. Trina coughed up and her head started to throb. "No matter what, he never let go of that gun." She recounted her ex's next few steps and fought to keep herself calm by taking deep breaths as she walked him through this.

Dean turned his head away, gagging as she recounted the vivid details for him. "I couldn't move, Dean. I was paralyzed. Fearful for my life, too shocked by what I was going through, and he continued to torture me in ways that you can't even imagine…"

It wasn't the first time she walked someone through it. She told Jason about it, and talking helped her. She also had a therapist she spoke with for several years, one that truly helped her.

Trina picked up her bottle of water and brought it to her lips, taking several large gulps. "Do you know how hard it was to regain faith in humanity after that?" She watched the tears form in his eyes and threw her hair back with a scoff. "My husband had to be extra careful with me for those first ten years. We didn't even make love until years after marriage."

"Oh god…" He began to shake forward, bowing his hand and moving his hands down to his stomach.

"I cannot use public restrooms without sanitizing every bit of that restroom. Even now when I bathe, sometimes I feel his filth on me. You're never clean, Dean. Never. You never feel safe, secure…"

As she continued her description, she noted the pale and sickened expression coming over his face. Eventually he rose from his seat and moved to the trash bin, hurling into it. "No matter how long it's been, no matter how stable your life becomes, you never forget. It sits there, haunting you. Some people manage to cope and deal with it while others never do."

"And you did?"

"I wanted to die." Her hands tightened some more, shaking violently as the storm of nausea within her grew. Her breath grew shallow and a sharp pain swept across her chest and down her arms. "He wouldn't kill me. Apparently he liked my sister too much." Dean's eyebrows came together and trembled in the center as his eyes littered with tears.

She knew he was still just a kid yet, so by telling her story, she hoped to dissuade him from ever trying what he did again. "That man, when he pointed that gun at my face, I begged for him to pull the trigger. Pleaded for him to kill me, but he laughed. He mocked me, even after the ordeal he continued to mock me every time he was over with his friends."

Trina watched, her nostrils flaring and her lips twitching as she pushed down the disgust and anger within her. "I've overcome that past to the best of my ability. I've made peace with it, I've moved on with my life, and I'm stronger for it. Tell me again, though, how you would have put my daughter through worse."

"I…" Dean began shaking his head and rocking back and forth on the ground, whimpering frantically. "No I couldn't. I can't."

Trina closed her eyes and breathed out a single easy breath. She pressed the intercom system once more, waited for the click, then folded her hands neatly over the folder. She straightened her back, breathed a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

"H-How? Mrs. Tyler, how could you bounce back from all of that? I…I don't understand."

"A lot of hard work. A lot of therapy, a lot of struggling and support from those that care about me. Why else did I leave a toxic environment behind. Is this why you wanted to talk to me? To find out who I was?"

"Y-Yeah kind of. My dad…"

"Now you know."

She crossed her arms. "You also will know that the judge overseeing your trial is a tough judge, I've rarely seen him reduce or give bond. That judge is also a friend of the family." She closed the folder and rose from her chair. "Also, no one is accepting bribes from your father, so don't expect to hear you've suddenly been set free."

"My dad is well liked." The features around her eyes and scowl tensed and she pushed her trembling hand into the pockets of her slacks.

"Wait until jury selection. One of the questions asked will be relating to those that either are fans of your father's work or actually like your father and might be influenced by that."

"My dad." Dean pulled his hands over his eyes, still gagging and choking. "Oh god I'm so sorry." She hummed and shrugged. "He wanted. He told me." Her eyebrow rose.

"Told you what, Dean."

"He said you lied, you didn't go through shit. He said 'use her daughter, make her see what it's really like'." Trina's eyes grew and her frown lines increased. "He said if she died, we'd deal later."

It was solicitation. "I see." The police would have to arrest Andre now, but now she had a reason to gun for him.

"He-He said you were weak, that I should just try and damage you. Destroy your psyche or something, discourage you."

"Dean, your father-" She met his eyes and let out a heavy breath of air. She'd done enough damage to get through to him, she didn't need to push him any further by saying anything more about his dad. "Some people don't want to believe someone they know can be capable of something like that, but anyone is. It's a matter empowerment and control, but it's also a matter of controlling yourself and knowing right from wrong."

"And that guy? He was the weak one. You weren't attacked for anything my father said..." She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly and tilting her head back. Her shoulders fell and the pain inside her was still firing up despite her stoic appearance.

"No Dean. I _was_ sexually assaulted for dumping the guy. He was someone that wanted a girl every week, a guy that got off being able to be the one to dump them. Someone like me? Someone 'worthless' and 'obsessed', someone that just _had_ to be the center of attention, and I dumped him because I was still in love with my husband. He couldn't stand it, he couldn't stand that _I_ dumped _him_."

"It...It wasn't your fault."

"I know that. It was his." She walked to the door and set her hand on the knob. "If your father told you to commit that crime, the police will have to investigate."

The knotting in her stomach subsided and she turned her head towards Dean. "Sorry you had to hear that, Dean. I personally didn't want to relive that alone. I'm going to go home to my family, take a hot shower and get some rest. See you at the bond hearing…"

She opened the door and stepped outside. Trina made it to her car, and when she was finally out of anyone's line of sight, she cupped her hand over her mouth and let out a loud wail into it. Her body shook and moisture formed in her eyes.

She hated him and while she was glad to have sickened him, she couldn't stand that she let out like that. This time she had more people around her for support, but she had to be strong still and be there for her daughter.

"God." She pulled her hand away and coughed before starting the ignition. "You can do this." Trina sucked in a large amount of air and curled her fingers around the steering wheel. "You're strong. You're fierce. You're a fighter. This can't beat you."

After several minutes of deep breathing and listening to the engine of her vehicle, she turned her eyes to the rearview mirror and spoke in a low voice. "Andre Harris, you thought to destroy me again…sending your son after my daughter."

She clicked her tongue and swallowed down the bile in her throat. "You almost destroyed me, tried to destroy my daughter, but now I will destroy you in court."

The radio began to play a tune of one of Andre's songs and she quickly punched the power switch. "You and the empire of shit that is your music."

* * *

So she may have gotten through to Dean. Andre told his son to commit the crime, so it looks like father and son both will be going on trial. Now, the attorneys at the my office say it normally takes about 6 months for a trial, so that's a heads up for you guys. This trial, this tragedy that happened is what will help the reuniting family grow stronger together. What are your thoughts about the chapter? Notice anything that caught your attention? Trina truly has grown incredibly strong, and when Andre's trial comes up, we may see just how strong she has become when she stares that man in the eyes and takes him down.


	19. One Large Family

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (One Large Family)

Trina removed her jacket with a sigh and tossed it onto the coat rack beside the door. She saw Tori on the living room couch with a book and wondered where everyone was. "Tori? Have you seen my family around?" Tori looked up from the book and nodded.

"Yeah. Jason, Beck and Jade are in the back. Rachel went to take a nap. Shawn and Michelle are playing outside." Trina's shoulders fell and she walked towards her sister. "Are you okay?"

"I'm going to be fine. I'm sorry, I hoped reconnecting with you would be under better circumstances." Tori shut her book and Trina fell down beside her. "That kid. Dean. I told him what happened to me…" Tori raised an eyebrow and Trina held onto her breath.

"Why? Everything?"'

"No. I didn't name names. I wanted to kind of scare him but at the same time for him to understand what victims go through." She wanted to make sure Dean would never try to do something like tried to do again, and she was fairly certain she got her point across. "That asshole put his son up to it, Tori."

She started unbuttoning her top button, growling under her breath. "Thirty years and I wasn't enough, he had to go and attack my daughter." Tori's lips pulled back into her cheeks and she reached over, patting Trina on the back. "I thought I was done with him, Tori. I thought I could put all of that behind me."

"This is your chance to put him away for good." Trina froze and raised an eyebrow at the girl. "I mean yeah you can't get him for anything thirty years ago, but you just said Andre had his son go after the kids. Solicitation right there."

"I know." She tugged on her collar and looked towards the thermostat with a groan. Tori set her right hand down on the cover of her book and looked over her shoulder.

"With what happened to you, I don't know details but I know it's amazing that you are where you are now. Impressive." She flashed a smile and raised her shoulders. "Can I ask you, this ex of yours, when did you date him? Why don't I remember?"

"Because it was for a week or so, a rebound-an experiment in trying to get over Jason." She ran her hand across her forehead and slid it down just over her eyes. "I didn't think the guy would care because he dated a new girl each week and then dumped her."

She dropped her hand and looked to the front door. Her eyes grew dull and her fingers curved in her lap. " I was still in love with Jason, so I dumped this guy and he did what he did. Because of what he did, you never heard about him. It was violent, he had a weapon, and nobody was going to care…"

Even now, though Tori evidently knew who it was, she didn't feel like speaking his name. "I'm sorry Trina. You know it wasn't your fault."

"Yeah." She brushed her nose with her thumb and shrugged. "I know. It took years of therapy, years of support from Jason, but I made it out okay. I can't believe you found out because Andre told you while drunk."

"Yeah. 'I'm glad we're friends even though…'" Tori rolled her eyes and Trina looked away into the distance. "Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to talk about this right now."

"I'd rather not. Have you had a chance to talk with Beck and Jade? Rebecca?"

"No. They stayed at the hospital with Rebecca for the longest time and Jason drove me back with Rachel. They were quiet for the most part." She wasn't shocked by that news, considering what her family went through. "I wish this was better timed too."

Tori threw her right hand into the air and, with a scoff, brought it over her mouth. "I've waited so long to find my daughter, and now that I found her she's been involved in a crime."

Trina leaned forward and clasped her hands between her knees. "You know something? It may not seem like it, but now's a perfect time for you to come back into her life. If you're serious about that. Be there for her, she needs a mother, not an aunt." She pat Tori's knee and mustered up a tiny smile. "That goes for all of us. I wanted you to accept my family, but now…"

"What?"

"Well if you are serious about getting to know my family, getting to know your daughter and just being a part of our lives, now's the time." She pulled her hand away and glanced at the floor, squinting her eyes. "I won't accept a half-ass attempt."

Tori smiled back and gently shook her head. "I understand."

"Good."

"Mom?" Trina jerked back at the sound of Rachel's voice and looked over her shoulder. Rachel was standing in front of the hallway going to her bedroom. She had a purple blanket wrapped around her body and streaks stained her cheeks. "I thought I heard your voice."

Trina stood up as Rachel shuffled over to her. She stretched out her arms and let her daughter lean against her. "I'm here." The two sank onto the couch and she held Rachel tight, speaking tenderly as her daughter snuggled close.

It had been some time since Rachel cuddled up with her like this; the girl always considered herself too grown to snuggle with her mother.

She kissed Rachel on the top of her head and swayed gently. In the corner of her eyes she saw Tori studying them. Tori's lips curled upwards as Rachel turned her eyes to her. "Aunt Tori. It's…good to finally meet you."

"And you." Tori pat Rachel on the back and tilted her head. "I guess I have sixteen years of spoiling to make up for." Rachel chuckled and turned her head.

"Rebecca should be on her way here. She went home, but I texted her saying you were still here."

"So she at least knows who I am?"

"She's terrified that you didn't want her. She thinks Mom forced you to be here." Tori closed her eyes and folded her arms across her stomach. Rachel pulled away from Trina and let her blanket fall from her shoulders. "Don't worry. I told her it seemed like you were here for her. You are here for her, right?"

"Of course. I wanted to find her but never could." Tori's eyes opened partially and shot over to Trina. "Of course if I knew she would have found my sister-"

"To be fair she never made contact with mom until just a few weeks ago."

Trina heard a clicking sound behind her and looked back to see Jason walking into the room with Beck and Jade in tow. "Tori," Jade said almost breathlessly. Tori looked over and raised her hand up. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk earlier."

"It's okay. I understand the timing wasn't the best." Jade nodded and Beck placed a hand on her lower back. Tori hung her arm over the top of the couch and started to smile. "How is Kevin?"

"They're keeping him at the hospital to observe, but he's okay." Katie, Shawn and Michelle came running in. The door slammed behind them and Trina could feel Rachel tensing as the children surrounded Tori.

It was nice to see Katie taking an interest since technically she and Kevin weren't related to Tori in any way. It was only by marriage that Trina was their aunt, after all, so Tori couldn't be an aunt but she was still a part of the family.

"Well, big family." Tori grinned as Michelle climbed into her lap and Shawn Jumped up onto the seat between her and his mother. "These two are yours, I take it, Trina?"

Trina laughed and Jason moved his hands to her shoulders, massaging them. "She's probably the world's proudest mother," Jason remarked. "I know I'm one hell of a proud father."

Tori looked up at him and nodded. "It's good to meet you, Jason."

"We've met once before, remember?"

"It's been so long I can barely recall."

Michelle's eyes went wide and she pushed herself up while folding her hands over Tori's shoulders. "You met Daddy before?" Tori met Michelle's eyes and laughed once. Shawn and Rachel leaned in. "Will you tell us a story, Aunt Tori? How did you and Daddy know each other?"

"Yeah I'm curious," Rachel replied with a smirk. Jason raised an eyebrow and Trina stifled a laugh.

"It wasn't like that," Tori said. "Our teacher-I imagine your mother's brother?" Tori moved her eyes over and pursed her lips. "Is that right?" Jason and Trina nodded. Beck and Jade walked around to the other chairs in the room, eager to listen. "Okay."

Tori took a deep breath and her eyebrows lifted up. "Mr. Sikowitz wanted us all to do an acting exercise at his house. We were to act as a specific character and if we broke character we were banished."

Michelle stretched her arms out and started to curl up. Tori wrapped her arms around the girl's waist, holding her in place. Shawn leaned sideways into Trina's shoulder, turning his eyes onto Rachel as though protectively watching over her.

"Your Aunt Jade and Uncle Beck were there. I was there." Tori flipped her hair over her shoulder and cleared her throat. "A couple of our other friends; Cat Valentine and Robert Shapiro were also there." Rachel's lips curled into a smile.

"That's Ryan's mom," she said.

Tori's mouth formed an oval. "Small world." She continued with the story, not mentioning Andre, much to Trina's surprise. At the same time, she was thankful for it, she didn't want her daughter to have to hear that man's name again tonight. "Your Aunt Jade had to play this sweet farm girl. That was a struggle because she had to be _nice_."

Jade chortled and Katie turned her wide eyes up. "My mommy is nice."

"Nice to see some things change," Trina replied with a smile. "Go on with how you met Jason."

"It was brief. He walked into the room, fixing to go meet some friends somewhere." Jason crossed his arms and swayed to the right. "Cat broke character there, leaving with him because he was attractive."

"Ooh," Rachel poked Trina and started laughing. "What do you think about that, Mom?" She closed her eyes and shrugged.

"Who do you think is married to him?"

"Bah." Jason waved his hand dismissively in the air, shaking his head. "I was never into ditzy girls anyway. Not to mention I pissed that girl off because I wasn't the slightest bit interested."

"We'd already found each other again by that time."

The doorbell rang and startled the group. Jason was quick to answer and Trina turned to see her father and grandfather following Sikowitz, Pam and Hector into the house. She was surprised to see David managed to drive the distance on short notice, but it was nice.

"What happened to our grandchildren," Pam said abruptly. Rachel left Trina's side and walked over to hug her grandmother. Pam hugged the girl tight while Hector and Sikowitz surrounded them. "You poor dear, Grandma's here."

David approached and looked over his shoulder. "I would have been here sooner, but Monica wanted to make sure the cake was made just right." Trina stood slowly, raising her eyebrow at the name of this person she hadn't heard of before.

"Who?"

"I failed to mention before, I have been seeing someone for the last three years now." Trina's jaw fell open and a short elderly woman walked in with a large chocolate cake. "We wanted to make something that might make my granddaughter feel a little better after a terrible night."

Rachel gushed and hurried over. Her blanket fell to the floor as she helped take the cake from the woman. "I love cake."

Trina moved her hand to her forehead and sighed at her father. Beside her Tori rose up and made her approach. She could feel the energy in the room shifting as all eyes moved towards her sister. "Dad," Tori began with a trembling voice. "It's been a while."

"Yeah. It's been a long time, longer still since I've seen both my girls in the same roof."

Tori folded her arms. "Nothing like tragedy reuniting the family." David shrugged. Rachel set the chocolate cake down and stepped beside Trina, watching her aunt and grandfather.

Trina held onto her breath, unsure of what could possibly happen here. David's mouth turned up into a sore smile and he moved his hands down to his waist.

"Trina went looking for you as well, I see."

"She did. I'm here for my family." Tori dropped her hands down. Her eyelids fell halfway and her eyebrows rose. "What are you here for?"

"Same thing, I guess. That and-" A pair of headlights flashed across the door, then a car door shut. Trina leaned sideways to get a better view of the outside, and her breath stilled when she saw Rebecca making her way to the door. The others turned to look and Tori's voice fell quiet when her eyes landed onto the girl. Rebecca froze on the spot, her brow furrowed and her eyes mixed in with Tori's.

"My daughter…"

The tension increased and everyone watched on with baited breath. Trina watched her sister's eyes mist over, but the woman seemed frozen in place. Rebecca's eyes were filled with tears as well. She looked to Trina and Rachel as though uncertain what to do. Tori glanced over as well, breathing in deep and pressing her lips together.

It was then that Rachel turned up a smile and put her arms around Trina, catching her off guard for a split second. Her heart started to swell and she carefully moved her arms around her daughter.

As though taking from cue, or perhaps it was from the emotion of the tragic night, Rebecca approached Tori and threw her arms around her. The older woman was receptive, holding her daughter close for the first time in seventeen years.

* * *

Thoughts on everything here? A family coming together like this is always a good thing, I'd say


	20. One woman's War

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Mr. Rasmussen at the Public Defender's office enlightened me about something, it has given this story new direction and I'd say a better ending that actually suits Trina a little more in the light of showing not only how strong she's become but further tightening those familial bonds by bringing everyone together for support. "There is no statute of limitations on aggravated sexual assault", he told me. She can get the guy even after 30 years. Without further ado, I give you the chapter that must come now.

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Chapter 20 (One Woman's War)

The following day Trina was back in her office. Tori had taken this day to spend some quality time with Rebecca, so Trina decided to push her niece's starting internship date down by a week.

Her desk was cluttered with files and paperwork, including a folder for an ancient case. Her chair was turned with its back to the desk, and her telephone cord wrapped around it as she held the phone up to her ear. A pen wagged between the index and middle fingers and her elbow was perched neatly on the arm rest.

"You still have the kit, I presume, Samantha?" Her narrowed eyes fell on the frame of her degree on the wall and her lips pressed tight against each other. "The one thing my mother did right, telling doctors to keep the rape kit."

"Yes," replied Officer Benson. "The good thing is the offender's in the system already. Assault domestic violence. Drunk and disorderly. The spermatozoa taken from the vaginal and anal faculties matches him without question." Trina closed her eyes and pulled her hand to her chest.

"And the gun? Is that still in evidence?" She reported it so long ago but at the last minute decided not to press charges. The case was filed away and the evidence preserved in storage. Back then he hadn't committed any prior crimes and would not give up his DNA.

The people in power at the time didn't want to obtain a warrant for his DNA unless he was going to be charged with a crime.

"Thank god he's in the system now then."

"Yes, and yes the gun is still in evidence. Registered to a relative." There was enough to not only charge him with a crime, but any prosecutor would have enough to secure an indictment. The only reason she gave up and dropped her charges at the last minute was because the man's father was the prosecutor in charge and wasn't going to push his son's case through to trial.

Now she not only made the rules, but she had people she trusted to take it to court.

"Mrs. Tyler. We'll reopen the investigation based on new evidence, but why now? Why wait so long?"

"Because I was scared." She crossed her right leg over her left and reclined her chair. "I was terrified of him. He threatened me later on, part of me still thinks he pushed Robbie into cutting the harness on stage that day. I had a victim mindset, I thought myself a weak and scared girl with no power."

She turned her chair around and flicked her eyes to the closed office door. "He no longer holds power over me. This means telling everyone the truth, but I can do this."

"You know you're not going to be able to prosecute him, being the victim of the crime."

"I know, but I have someone I can assign the case to. Someone I trust and know has the skill to take it on." Trina set her pen in the holder on her desk and tangled her finger around the phone cord. "Also, my sister's revealed something to me. Go to her; Victoria Wilson. Get her statement."

All of a sudden her office door flew open. She flinched and jerked back in her chair, watching with startled eyes as Andre Harris walked in. His eyes were narrow, his mouth was twisted into a violent sneer, and his nostrils were flaring.

"Excuse me, I have a visitor…" She hung up the phone and moved her case folder to the file cabinet on her right. Her muscles grew rigid and her eyes remained locked onto Andre as he took a seat in the leather chair before her desk.

The secretary of the office ran in, panting heavily. "I'm sorry Mrs. Tyler," Nancy said, "He stormed by when I told him to let me see if you were taking any visitors." Trina looked into Andre's eyes. Her brow furrowed and her hand rose to signal to Nancy.

"It's alright Nancy. Stay." Nancy raised an eyebrow and Trina pointed to the second chair on the other side of the room. "Please."

Knots formed in her stomach and she started to feel an intense heat around her despite Andre's glare turning her blood to ice. "Are you certain?" She struck a button on her desk to turn on the ceiling fan and leaned her chair back slowly.

"Yes." Nancy took her seat, much to Trina's pleasure. It was more comfortable having her there as she didn't want to be alone in the office with Andre. Public places never bothered the man before.

"Mr. Harris, I was in the middle of a phone conversation with my investigator." She laced her fingers together and set her hands on her stomach. "You would have us believe you are more important?"

"The jail won't release my son."

"He hasn't had a bond hearing yet, Mr. Harris."

"He's my son, I have more than enough money to pay." Andre leaned forward. His eyes were like poison, spewing corruption all along her body and boiling her skin. It filled her with disgust, but she dared not express her discontent lest he believe himself to have any ounce of power over her.

"Don't act like you don't know me, Trina." His snarl slipped into a snarky grin and she shrugged.

Trina opened the small drawer above her legs and grabbed a small rubber ball in the palm of her hand. "Mrs. Tyler to you." She raised her eyes to Andre and proceeded to squeeze the ball between her fingers and palm, focusing half on him and half on the object.

Andre pulled his right ankle over his left knee and spread his hands out sideways and started to laugh. Her eyes darted to his hands and the way his fingers curled sickened her. "Come on Trina, I'd like to make a deal. Let my son go, don't waste time on this case."

"My answer? Flat out _no."_ A familiar flicker of rage shot in his eyes and his mouth shut tight. Trina pulled her ballpoint pen from the holder, watching Andre as she carefully removed it. "Do you understand what word means, Mr. Harris? Or do you still detest the word?"

She grabbed a sticky note and wrote down a simple phrase, then extended her hand to him. There was a trembling sensation within her wrist and fingers, so she tightened her muscles and narrowed her eyes as Andre took the note. "Read this, please."

Andre rolled his eyes and raised the note to his face. "'No means it isn't going to happen, cease and desist, stop now because you're not going to get your way'." With a scoff he shook his head and raised the paper up.

Her throat thickened as she watched him grip the notepad in the center with his forefingers and thumb. "Here's what I think about you and your denial."

He began to tear the paper, making a quick ripping noise. Her upper right lip twitched as she recalled the sound of her clothes tearing apart. Her eyes shut and clenched tight and she moved her head slowly from side to side.

"Weak. Just like you."

Nancy brought her hand to her chest, leaning back slowly. "Would you like me to call security, Mrs. Tyler?" Trina opened her eyes and scoffed.

"No." She wanted to let Andre think he was getting under her skin, to let him think he had any kind of power. In the end, she knew what would happen.

Andre crossed his arms and dismissed her with the wave of his hand. "You can't honestly think you're going to win this, Trina. I'm a famous musician. California loves me. Everyone loves me; _who is going to listen to you?"_

 _Your word means nothing_. The words fell from dark lips, striking her with equal force as a mighty fist. _Who will listen to you over me? Everyone likes me, they all hate you._

"You're asking for a war, Mr. Harris? I don't let cases slide away, I prosecute what I know I can win." She started to growl and leaned towards him. Her hands tightened beneath her desk. "You sought to attack me by turning your son into an extension of yourself. You used your son as a tool to attack my daughter, to destroy her. You wanted to remind me of something as well, but it's not going to work like that."

"What the hell is my son charged with?"

"Burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit murder." Andre raised an eyebrow and cast a disbelieving look onto her. Trina rolled her head to the right and hummed. "Your son testified that you told him to commit the crime. Your daughter has also told investigators that she heard you ordering him. Not to mention they both report allegations of abuse."

"Abuse? Seriously?" He brought his hands to his chest, laughing uproariously. "Me abuse my kids?" Her eyebrow arched high and a hum vibrated off her lips.

"You have a record, Mr. Harris. You have been charged in the past for domestic violence." She bent her elbows on her desk and raised her clasped hand just beneath her nose. "Why am I not surprised?"

Andre crossed his arms and tilted his head. His sneer stretched across his face. For a moment he looked like a devil. Any words he spoke would leave his lips like fire and leave a trail of venom in its place.

"Some people need to be put in their place, to know who is in charge and where they stand." He turned his head and raised his shoulders. "Then there are some who need to be reminded of their place."

"Is that so?"

"Yes." His eyes darted to Nancy and a growl slipped from his lips. "Does she seriously have to be here?" Trina leaned back and tapped her fingertips together.

"Yeah. She does. Is that a problem?"

"Since you said so."

"Too bad." His expression twisted to annoyance and she smirked at him. "How does it feel to know you're not in control here?" Andre turned his eyes to a photo on her desk, one of her family. He cocked his head and huffed.

"So. You married him, did you?" She turned her head, shrugging. "What a beautiful family you have."

Her eyes narrowed and a frown spread across her face. "Thanks." As Andre reached over, she felt the tension in her body increase. Her eyes opened up and a trickle of sweat fell down the left side of her face, leaving a trail around the border of her eyes.

Andre picked up the photograph and pointed to her oldest child. "She looks just like you." He ran his fingers over his chin and curled the left side of his mouth up beneath his cheekbone. "You must be thrilled her lover was there to protect her. Pray she never knows how cruel some humans can be…" A lump formed in her throat and her teeth began to grind against each other. "But you know better than her, don't you? You realize some people are capable of terrible, terrible things."

He set the photo down and pointed to the file cabinet. She kept her eyes focused on him and felt like her entire body had been set on fire. "What's that folder, Trina?"

"Aggravated sexual assault case. Guy went after the victim with a gun." Trina looked crossed her arms and her fingers flicked out, then gripped her left arm tightly. "I can't share any information with you however."

"Confidentiality. Yeah, I get that." His eyes darted to the photo and she watched as he studied Jason. "So." He smacked his lips and his eyes slanted further. "He treat you well, or are you still trying to be the center of all attention? When he's with you, does it hurt?" Her nostrils flared and she looked at Nancy, who appeared gravely concerned.

"Nancy, step outside please. Stand outside the door and do not leave." Nancy hesitated for a second, then she followed the instruction. Andre smirked and Trina leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper tone.

"You know what, Andre?" He crossed his arms and adjusted himself in the chair, sighing as he spread his legs apart. "My children give me strength, courage. My husband makes me stronger. I'm stronger because of them. You're trying to provoke me, it isn't working."

"Aw, that's too bad."

"Oh." Trina smirked coldly and her eyebrows flattened above her eyes. "Jason's dick is bigger, by the way." Andre's jaw fell open and she leaned back, humming to herself. "And he feels great."

She cleared her throat and her eyes darted to the door. "Now Mr. Harris, the DA's office is prepared to cut you a deal." Andre closed his mouth, pouted his lower lip and narrowed his eyes.

"Keep talking. Bitch."

"Yes. Proving solicitation on your part may not be easy, we are prepared to dismiss those charges against you. I will not prosecute you."

 _That's right_. She smirked as a look of pride came over Andre's face. _Let him think he's won. Let him believe he still holds power over you, enough to get his way._

"I see. For my son?"

"Unfortunately we're still going to have to take him to trial. You, at least, don't have to deal with the crime of solicitation. Now, leave." Andre leaned his head back and Trina reached for the folder on the file cabinet.

"That's it?"

"I have nothing further to discuss with you. Leave now, or I will tell Nancy to contact security to remove you." Andre stood up and scoffed before spreading his arms and taking a bow.

"That's all you had to do. Thank you, Trina." She squinted and raised her right eyebrow, watching as he turned on his heels and marched out the door with his head held high.

Trina's body crashed as relief swept over her and eased the tension in her muscles. She bowed her head and moved the back of her right hand to her sweat-drenched forehead. "Nancy?" Nancy poked her head in the doorway, pursed her lips and gave her a concerned look.

"Yes Mrs. Tyler?"

"Send in Scott, please. Tell him whatever he's working on, put it down and get here."

"Right away."

Scott Tillman was her best prosecutor. He cared deeply about the victims as she did and fought with equal vigor, and much like her, he could master the poker face to let his calm demeanor take offenders off guard.

She wiped her face with a tissue and then cleaned off the photograph that Andre touched.

Within two minutes a man walked into the door. He had a blue shirt, slate grey slacks and a dark grey suit. His head was round shaped and he had short combed over brown hair that matched the trimmed brown beard on his young looking face.

"You asked for me?" His hands pushed into his slacks and he stood with a slightly slouched appearance.

Trina exhaled and dropped the folder on her desk. "I am assigning a case for you to prosecute." Scott looked to the folder and she hovered over it, bending her hands above it and perching her chin on her knuckles. "It's an old case, but new evidence is coming to light and it's almost ready to prosecute. You are the best prosecutor in this office and I trust you."

"Okay." Scott approached the desk and reached for the folder.

"Now you will recognize a couple names. You know the victim personally as well, but I know you're capable of putting that aside." Scott raised the folder, humming as he opened it. His eyes widened for a split second and darted to her, then to the folder. "Can you handle this case?"

"Y-Yes ma'am."

"Good." She leaned back and closed her eyes. "If the mayor does appoint me as DA, the chief prosecutor's spot will be left open." Scott straightened himself and his lips fell in a part.

Trina slouched and gripped the right armrest tightly while bending her left wrist beneath her chin. "Like I said, you are the best attorney in this office, you have the skill and the judgment. The capability. You show me I'm not wrong by putting that asshole in prison for the rest of his life, and I will personally guarantee you take my place when I leave the office."

Scott cleared his throat and looked down at the folder. "You told him you wouldn't pursue solicitation?"

"I said a consideration." She waved her left hand dismissively. "Nothing was signed, nothing was written down. It would be difficult to get him on it because of who he is, but not hard to prove. Regardless, I want him to think he's won…to think he's going to walk free."

"I see."

"The bastard's got away with what he did to me for nearly thirty years. I was afraid of him, frightened. He no longer holds power over me and I am no longer frightened of him, but now that he's gone after my child…he'll see who is in power."

"You'll testify?"

She rolled her head, pushing her left cheek into her wrist. Her eyes moved to the folder and her chest expanded slowly. "He thinks he's smart, he thinks he's won. He thinks he still has power." She lifted her head, chuckling softly as her eyebrows dipped down in the middle. "But I will look him in the eyes from the witness stand, I will point to him, and the world will know what Andre Harris did to me."

* * *

The truth finally comes out and the identity is revealed. It is time for her now to discuss with her family. Perhaps she showed great resilience in this chapter. If she is going to go through with this, she's going to need the support of that family she's been trying to reconnect with. Now bear in mind I've learned from the attorneys at the office a trial can take as little as 6 months to happen, so there's going to be some stuff going on here. What are your thoughts? Trina has shown great strength, but will she be able to finally put Andre away, or rather her most trusted Prosecutor (An attorney that is a victim of crime can't prosecute their own case)


	21. Support of Family

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 21 (Support of Family)

Trina swayed and stumbled as she entered her home. Her purse strap was falling from her shoulder and she'd unbuttoned her dress shirt from the third button and up so that she could get some air.

While making her way home she'd contacted Jade, Beck and Tori to get all of them to make their way over. She also contacted her father, feeling that right now having her family around was going to be the best thing. Furthering that, she wasn't sure how to tell Beck and Jade the true truth about Andre.

Surely they must have suspected, being curious as to what "friend" Andre had that they never knew about. She wanted to protect them from that feeling of grief, the anger they were sure to feel, but now that she was finally letting the case go through she was going to need their support.

Trina pulled her hair tie away, letting her hair fall around her shoulders, then sank down on the couch. Her skin was pale and she was still fighting the urge to vomit. "Trina?" She sat up and looked back to see Jason standing in the doorway. He was drying his hands with a washcloth and had a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"Does it look that bad?"

"I haven't seen you like that in years." He slapped the cloth against his shoulder, leaving it in place there and walked over to her. "What happened?"

"Andre came to my office." Jason's eyes widened and he fell on the couch beside her. "He was trying to get me to dismiss his son's case." She slid towards Jason, moving her head to his shoulder and tensing her forehead. "I told him no, of course. I've made another decision too, one that I really need my family's support on."

Jason nodded slowly and she turned her gaze up to him. "I'm finally letting the case go. I've assigned my case to Mr. Tillman." Jason opened his mouth and jerked his head back. "There's no statute of limitations on aggravated sexual assault."

"Wow." He started to smile and his hand came to rest over hers. "I'm proud of you, you know." The inner tips of her eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth indented her cheeks.

"I…I can't just let him walk. Not after what happened to Rachel. Not after he tried to get his son to do the same damn thing." She pushed her hands through her hair, groaning softly. "Thank god Ryan was there."

"Yeah. I never thought I'd like the idea of our daughter dating somebody, but that was nothing short of a miracle. Ryan and those two dogs of his. Kevin as well. I know he was injured, but he protected his cousin, and that's what counts."

"Yeah." She pressed her arm against his and stared blankly at the door. "I'm going to have to tell Beck and Jade. They're going to be devastated. I've been trying to protect them, I didn't want them to be upset, but Scott's going to try and take this to trial, so they're going to find out."

"They'll want to know, but I'll be right here for you."

"Thank you." She kissed his shoulder and blew out sharply. "I am going to testify. I never thought I'd be willing to testify against him, but I am. I'm ready, I know I am."

"You're a strong woman." Jason moved his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I love that about you, you know that?"

"I love you. I'm not really sure if I would have survived without you those first few years, though."

"You would have. You would have found your strength. You know that."

Trina remained silent for several seconds, tilting her head to the side and squinting her eyes. "You know? For as selfish, cruel, and uncaring as my mother is…it amazes me even now she ordered the doctor to save the rape kit they did."

The examination had been done in the emergency room where her mother worked, and that was how Holly knew what happened; she was the nurse on staff. Sadly, it was after the attack that Holly distanced herself from Trina.

"They turned it in to the police, and the police kept it in the evidence room all these years. Andre's father was the prosecutor back then, wouldn't let the case go through and wouldn't let anyone take his son's DNA…"

"And now?"

"Andre's been in prison before for domestic violence, and one time for drunk and disorderly. Officer Benson was able to check DNA based off the DNA in the system, and it was a positive match of course." She ran her hand through her hair, sighing heavily. "I made peace, put it behind me. What Rachel's been through is the whole reason I've decided to do this now."

"I understand."

Half an hour later everyone was present, with the exception of the kids. This was not a conversation they needed to hear about, and she wanted to talk to Rachel about it alone. Her daughter already felt bad about going to Andre's mansion just on the basis that he struck her, Trina didn't want to throw more crap on the girl's shoulders right now.

"First off how's Rebecca, Tori?" Tori was on the other side of Jason, her hands were folded neatly in her lap. "Are the two of you getting along?"

"Yes," Tori replied, "Rebecca wants to move to Redwood City with me." Trina smiled and listened as Beck and Jade congratulated Tori on her newfound motherhood. David smiled from across the room, but spoke little.

"Alright. I'm glad to hear that." She swept her bangs back and looked towards Beck and Jade. She felt a swelling sensation in her throat and tried to swallow it down. "Guys. It's time I'm completely honest with you about this. I…don't really know how to say it."

"Is it bad?" Jade's brow furrowed and Trina bowed her head.

"In a way. It…might affect how you see some people No, it will affect it. I wanted to protect you guys from this, but, it can't be avoided. I thought I was protecting you and Beck from this, but I realize now I've been giving him power."

"Why?"

"Because." She brought her closed hands to her face, pressing her lips against them. "With what happened to our children, I've decided, since there's no statute of limitations against aggravated sexual assault…I'm going to take my attacker to court."

"Well that's great," Beck replied. He pat his knees and smiled at her. "You can do it."

"I'm going to need the support of all of you. It's just, it's who it is that the issue is." Trina glanced at Beck and wiggled her nose. "You're not still blaming yourself for the way you were when you were a teenager, are you?"

"No. No I've accepted it's time to move on, since you said you don't hold anything against us."

Jade pat her chest and leaned forward. "You have our full support Trina. Whatever you have to say, we'll deal with it, just say it. Like ripping off a bandaid."

"A band-aid would be easier." She clapped her hands between her legs and shook her head. They were right, it was better to just come out and say it. "Back then he told me if I tried to talk, if I told anyone, nobody would believe me. Everyone would think I was just crying for attention. He was right."

"What? No."

"Back then none of you would have believed me. Even now it's probably going to be hard for you to believe, but at least I know you're not going to judge me." She sucked in a deep breath of air and felt Tori's hand wrap around hers. She looked over to see the girl reaching across Jason's lap and smiling with reassurance.

Trina cleared her throat once more and clenched her eyes. "The man that attacked me was Andre Harris." When she opened her eyes she saw Beck and Jade sitting paralyzed. Jade's hand was clutching tightly to her chest and Beck's jaw had fallen open.

"N-No." Beck did a double take and moved his hand over his forehead. "Oh god, it was him? When? How? I…My best friend?" He stammered and struggled to regain his composure.

Trina spoke softly, afraid of how the couple might react, but still wanting to get this off her chest. "It was shortly after I left camp and when Jason and I got separated. I thought I'd lost him, I thought it was just a summer fling, so I went on the rebound…"

Jade took Beck's hand, clutching it tight and moving it down into his lap. She leaned forward and pursed her lips while giving Trina an attentive gaze. Beck did the same, though his eyes were locked in horror.

"Andre was dating a new girl each week, and I guess he was just using them or something because he always dumped them and was onto something new by the next week. So I thought maybe he'd be a good way to just try and get over Jason…"

Beck closed his mouth and his gaze relaxed as he looked over to Jason. "Clearly, you didn't."

"No. I couldn't. I told Andre I was still in love with Jason, and he didn't take it well." She remembered Andre's anger over her dumping him. Even when she apologized and told him she didn't mean to lead him on, he was still enraged. "He said I was a bitch, a self-serving 'attention whore'. I told him not to call me that and I slapped him, then left."

The couple looked at each other, exchanging nervous glances. "I remember something about that," Beck muttered, "Andre said he dated some girl and was all pissed off because she dumped him. He was complaining about that aspect, now that I think back…" Beck raised his hand over his mouth and closed his eyes. His shoulders began shaking and he let out a frustrated groan. "He said he wanted to make her regret it, I thought he was just blowing off steam-oh god I could have…I should-"

"Beck, please don't." Beck's eyes opened and he dropped his hand, apologizing. "You couldn't have known, and even if you did, there wasn't anything you could have done."

She looked to see Tori tensing and even David was shaking his head, both clearly upset despite both fully aware that Andre was the culprit. The truth of David's lack of reaction during the 'argument' with Andre wasn't over a friend-it was Andre himself calling her out and mocking her and her begging for him to stop. David was in such a state of shock that Andre had done something so terrible that he couldn't react.

"I received a text calling me over to Hollywood Arts. Andre said he wanted to apologize and that he thought he saw Jason." The veins in her arms and hands bulged and she struggled to catch her breath. "When I got there, I felt a gun at my back. Before I could act, he…he hit me over the head with that gun and dragged me to the bathroom." Tears welled up in her eyes and her nose started to run as the vivid flashes of memory shot through her mind.

"Because he didn't want me screaming, he tried to drown me at first in a filthy-" She stopped herself, choked up and moved her hands to her mouth. "I can't. I can't say…I won't say anything else, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jade replied with a tone as quiet as possible. "You don't have to." Trina bowed her head and let out a disgusted groan as a tremor ripped through her.

She felt a pair of arms around her and looked up with a gasp. Jade had moved over and was hugging her, the girl's cheek was moist with tears, but her body was warm. "Thank you for telling us, Trina. You're a brave, strong woman. Don't ever forget that."

"Thank you."

Tori crossed her arms and her eyes slanted at the floor. "I can't believe I was friends with him as long as I was." They looked to the girl and Trina watched as Tori unfolded her hands and rose from the seat. "I learned near the end of college. He was at some bar and got himself drunk off his ass that he called me and asked for a ride."

Tori paced to the right, growling in frustration. "I remember his exact words, just as I was driving to this busy intersection just before an on ramp to the freeway. 'I'm glad we're still friends, even though I fucked your sister'." Trina tensed up as Tori folded her hand over her mouth and growled once again. "I couldn't believe what I heard, I asked him to repeat-to elaborate-I wish I hadn't…"

Trina cast a blank stare at the wall in front of her. "What did he say?" She folded her arms over her stomach and Tori lowered her hand. "Go on."

"He confessed. He said he was insulted, that he wanted to put you in your place. He told me it was at Hollywood Arts that it happened, that he lured you, that…I practically pushed him out of the car then and there."

"You did?"

"God I was so pissed off, I wanted him to get hit by a car." Tori ran her hand across the back of her neck and paced to the left. "I sat there in a shopping square lot, watching him stumble across that damned intersection." Tori breathed in and crossed her arms. "The minute he started for the freeway ramp, he was throwing stuff in the road and screaming like a drunken idiot…so I called the police to report him."

A flicker of pride struck Trina's heart and she flashed a smirk. "Good going." The drunk and disorderly charge against Andre was from Tori; it seemed appropriate. "Because of you, the asshole's DNA is in police network." Tori's eyebrows rose and Trina shrugged. "So his DNA is matched. I know the defense is going to try and pull the age old 'it was consensual' but that's going to be hard to prove. "

"How?" Beck asked.

"I did report it at first, so police investigated. That restroom was a crime scene, and though there aren't any cameras in bathrooms, there were cameras in the hallway. The footage showed him attacking me and taking me into that restroom. The defense can't prove consent with that evidence-there's no way."

"Good." She raised an eyebrow and Beck brought his closed hand down into his palm. "You can get him. That asshole deserves to rot." She was glad to have his support, or rather, the support of all of them. It helped her, and now more than ever their support was needed. "But…how will you-you can't prosecute him if you're the victim?"

"No, I have my best prosecutor on this. Scott Tillman. He'll make sure Andre's getting what he deserves. That scum won't hurt anyone else." She slammed her hand down on her knee, growling out in frustration. "I'm just sorry I waited until he tried to hurt my baby girl."

"It's not your fault. You wanted to leave it in the past, right?"

"Yeah…I wanted to forget, to move on with my life, but this has to happen. That's why I called all of you here, because no matter how strong you think I've become, I can't do this alone."

"Well we're all here for you."

Tori pat Trina's back and smiled down at her. "Yeah sis, all of us." David pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and nodded.

"Let's put this asshole away once and for all. Bad enough he hurt my daughter and I did nothing, he's not going after my granddaughter and getting away with it."

* * *

So as the reader you learn more about what happened. Beck and Jade, I think reacted as well as they could, perhaps better than Trina suspected they might. What are your thoughts? Do you suppose the family will be able to reconnect and grow stronger through this? It's good they're there for support through the trials that will occur-though Andre has yet to be arrested at this point.


	22. Bond Hearing and an Arrest

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 22 (Bond Hearing and an Arrest)

Trina sat across from Rachel at the dinner table, her arms were stretched across and her hands were cupped around her daughter's. Rachel was peering down at the table and her eyes were wet with tears. "I'm sorry I didn't have this talk with you sooner sweetheart, I thought I was protecting you from it, but I realize it had more to do with me than anything."

"I'm glad you're okay at least, Mom." Rachel raised her head and smiled faintly. "So you're going to put him away?"

"Well, I can't prosecute the case, but I assigned it to my most trusted prosecutor." Trina moved her right hand above Rachel's hand and pat it gently. "I need you to understand that none of this is your fault. Okay? You didn't cause anything to happen."

"I understand, Mom. You're worrying too much." She smiled and chuckled once.

"I'm a mother. Worrying is what I do." She had to know her daughter would be okay, especially since Rachel was prepared to go to the bond hearing of Dean Harris. Jade and Beck would be there too with their children, Tori and Rebecca were on their way there, and Ryan was leaving with them Trina and Rachel.

The only problem was the bond hearing was taking place after what was called a jail run. A jail run was where numerous inmates were brought before the judge to speak with their attorneys in order to plead out of jail in hopes for probation.

The public was welcome to watch, but the process was long.

She did meet with her family in the courtroom. It was a large square room with three rows of church like pews stretching from the bar separator in the middle of the room to the double doors in the back.

They sat up front as per her suggestion, but of course they had to sit in the behind the separator while she sat at one of the two tables on the other side.

The jury box was on the right side of the room and where several inmates were led by the county sheriff deputies. The judge's booth was no the left side of the room, nestled in the corner. The court clerk was in a section to his immediate right, and next to the clerk's booth was another box with a microphone.

A similar setup was on the left side of the judge's booth as well.

Several attorneys chatted amongst themselves, some went through their folders while others talked to their clients. Trina approached the separator, sliding her hands along her waist and pushing the flaps of her blazer back. "This will take a while. It's hard to get comfortable in those wooden benches but-"

"Don't worry so much mother." Rachel smiled at her and Trina smiled back. "You don't have wrinkles yet or stress lines, if you worry, you'll start to get some." She laughed for a second then turned to Rebecca.

"Rebecca, let me know how you like the proceedings here, because this is some of the stuff you'll be seeing as an intern." Rebecca nodded fervently and Trina glanced to the other prosecutors nearby. "Granted, I don't come out as often since I deal with high profile stuff. This is actually the first bond hearing I've done in a while."

"Really?"

"Yep." The doors opened in the back and she turned her eyes up in time to see Andre walking in the courtroom. He had a navy blue jacket, dark black slacks, a red shirt and a crimson colored tie. His hair was pulled back and his eyes were sharp like a snake's.

She was surprised he bothered to show here, but at the same time she wasn't truly shocked to think he'd observe to see if his son would be granted bail.

Andre slipped into the back pew on the end farthest from her and her family. His gaze fixated on the inmates in the jury box and his nose crinkled.

Beck muttered something that drew her attention to him. He was glaring across the way at Andre, growling under his breath. "There he is. I can't believe I once called him a friend."

"Why isn't he in jail?" Jade asked. Officer Benson hadn't made the arrest yet, but the judge was signing off on an arrest warrant. "Has he paid money to stay out of jail or something?"

"No. Judge Walker just obtained an arrest warrant, to my knowledge. Just ignore him."

Judge Walker entered from the door behind his booth. He stood tall, his head was bald save for the grey patches of hair over his ears and behind his head. A grey moustache and goatee framed his lips, and a pair of thin framed glasses hung on his long nose.

Trina made her way to the table on the right of the room and set the tips of her right hand on the thick manila folder. Her left hand cupped her mouth and her eyes closed as she contemplated her argument.

She took her seat as the Judge called the first person up. The inmate walked with his attorney and a member of the state, also referred to as one of the prosecutors.

Several 'guilty' pleas, and three hours passed while Dean remained seated in the jury box. Every so often she'd look back to check on her family and they were attentive, for the most part.

Dean looked like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar. His head was hung and his eyes were downcast. When he was finally called on, he raised his head slowly and approached the bench.

His attorney a young man of Cuban descent with combed black hair and a soft complexion. His head looked large compared to his short and thin stature.

Before the judge began, he called for Trina to approach the bench. She made her way to him and leaned over as he covered the microphone with his hand. "I've seen you control your emotions well in court several times," Judge Walker began, "But you are the mother of one of the victims in this case. Will you be able to emotionally handle this?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

"I will hold you to this, but if you find yourself struggling, I trust you to assign this to another prosecutor. If I find you aren't dealing well with this and you don't pass, I will order another attorney to take the case."

"Understood sir." He gave her a confident smile and motioned for her to return to the table when ready.

Judge Walker ordered him to the witness booth and read out the charges against him. Once prepared, the defense was set to speak first. Trina could feel the energy in the room shift and grow tense.

"Your Honor," Mitch Riles began, "As you see before you, my client is still very young. Should we truly consider holding him in jail to await trial?"

"Objection." Trina crossed her arms and Mitch turned his head. "We are to question your client and to discuss the facts of the case."

"Sustained," Judge Walker said. "Regardless of your client's age, I will need to hear the facts in order to determine bond."

"Yes sir." Mitch stood up and Trina sat down, as customary as she wasn't speaking. Mitch looked at Dean and raised his hand to his chin. "Mr. Harris, please state your age for record."

"I am twenty years old." Dean looked to the side and his shoulders fell.

"Do you reside with your father?"

"I do, sir. My father and my little sister."

"Is this your first arrest?"

"Yes sir."

"Are you a risk to yourself or anybody outside?" Dean looked over to Trina, then to her family, and shook his head. "State for the court record why you here." Dean swayed to the right and exhaled.

"I was arrested for breaking and entering, and assault with a deadly weapon. I was coerced into committing the crime without knowledge of a connection between my father and the victim." Trina raised an eyebrow and Mitch lowered his hand to his waist.

"You allege a connection?"

"Yes sir. My father knew the mother of one of the victims in the far past. How, I'm not exactly certain." Trina held her breath and Mitch turned to look to her before stating he had nothing further to say at present.

He took his seat and Trina stood up. "Mr. Harris." Dean's eyebrows rose high and he made eye contact with her. "Allow me to walk you and the court through what the state has against you." She opened the folder and turned to Judge Walker.

"Your Honor, our first victim, identified as Kevin Oliver suffered a three inch stab wound to his right abdomen." She put her hands to her right side, squeezing her fingers over the area.

She pulled her hands away. "Our second victim, Rachel Tyler, suffered abrasions to her left shoulder and upper back where she was thrown onto the ground by the accused. The accused allegedly held the knife to her throat while allegedly attempting to remove her clothing."

Trina narrowed her eyes and placed her hands tightly at her hips. "The accused was subdued by the victim's boyfriend, but allegedly broke free and made one last attempt to assault the victim with his weapon."

She shuffled through the papers and hummed. "The state also has a statement from the accused driver of the getaway vehicle claiming that Mr. Harris stalked the victims for two days before forcing his way into the victim's house."

Trina motioned to Dean. "How did you come into contact with the victims initially, Mr. Harris? How do you know the victims?" Dean shrugged and looked away.

"Rachel Tyler approached me outside my father's mansion, wanting to find a way into a party that was going on. I let her and the others with her in and guided them to my father."

"Who all was present with Miss Tyler?"

"Her boyfriend, Ryan Hart. Her cousins Kevin Oliver and Rebecca Wilson." Dean closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. "My father recognized Rachel as the daughter of one Katrina Vega and ordered me out of the room where he proceeded to mock her."

"Do you know what was said? For record of the court."

"I do not know for certain, they were fighting about something he had done to her mother when they were younger. She ran downstairs in a huff and embarrassed my father by telling the guests what it was he had done."

"You and your sibling have alleged that your father accosted you to commit the crime you are charged with."

"My father has always been controlling, manipulative and abusive. It comes to no surprise that Olivia, that's my sister, would make that claim."

"Is your father currently abusive, and do you harbor any concerns or fears towards him?"

Dean looked past her, no doubt to his father, then shut his eyes. "I do. I would request a protection order for my little sister…if I could…"

The questioning continued for another several minutes with Trina describing in vivid detail the placement of any and all wounds as well as the evidence stacked against him.

"I have decided," Judge Walker said with a slow and calm tone. "Mr. Dean Harris, your trial will be before a jury of your peers on the scheduled date as followed on September 23, 2037. Until then you are to remain in holding without bail."

Trina pulled her hand over her heart, gasping softly as it beat swiftly in her palm. She heard the doors open behind her and turned to see Andre making his way out of the courtroom.

She felt a strange sensation and moved her hand to her stomach, groaning under her breath as a sheriff's deputy led Dean away. Judge Walker in the direction of Andre while speaking to one of the deputies near him.

It was better for Dean that he remained incarcerated where he would not be in danger of his father taking out his anger on him, but now Andre still walked free.

After conversing with her relieved relatives and seeing them on their way, she finished up some last minute paperwork and left the courthouse on her own. As she made her way down the street, she peered over her shoulder, still feeling the violent storm brewing out of control within her.

Her car was parked in the downtown parking garage a few blocks down, so she had no choice but to walk, and she didn't like the feeling that she didn't know where Andre Harris was now.

Even as she made her way into the parking garage, she felt a pair of eyes on her. The hair on her neck stood and she started to walk faster while pulling her keys from her purse.

Before reaching the elevator she heard a clicking sound that stopped her in her tracks. Her muscles tensed and her eyes slid to the corners as her breath stopped in her throat. "Don't make a single move," Andre said with a vicious growl, "My son should have made bail, but now he has to sit in jail thanks to you."

"I'm not scared of you."

"It's just me and you, Trina." She closed her eyes, cursing herself for assuring Jason that he could take the kids and leave before her. "If you want to live, you march back there and tell that judge to give my son bail."

"I don't have control over that. The motion's already in place." She shut her eyes, gasping as she felt the nozzle of his gun against her upper back. Her forehead tightened as flashes of memory caused a throbbing sensation in her brain. "Get away from me."

He pushed gently and pointed his hand past her. She stared down at it, struggling to breathe. "Hit the up arrow and get in the elevator. We're riding to the roof."

"What makes you think I'll go with you? If you're planning on using that gun, you may as well use it because I'm not going to give in to you without a fight."

"That's your problem. Now move."

"No." He growled and began to push with the gun. She leaned forward and felt every muscle in her body tremble as though they were standing in the center of an earthquake. "You're going to wish you killed me all those years ago, Andre."

"My son is just a kid, he doesn't need to rot in jail."

"That's one thing we agree on." She knew Dean was being used as a tool and nothing more. She could see in his eyes the fear he had of his father, and rightly so. "Still he has to know his actions have consequence. Every action has consequence."

"Is that so?" Andre started to laugh. "Know the right people and play a little politics and you can get away with anything." Trina swallowed the lump in her throat and looked towards the ceiling.

"Let's say I play ball. What are you going to do to me when we get to the roof?" There was a slight quiver in her voice and she did her best to cover it up, but it still sounded loud as hell to her. She couldn't let him know she was frightened, she couldn't give him that power.

"Why California's top prosecutor is going to throw herself off the top parking level. Although…" She stiffened when she felt his hand brush against her hair. Her hands moved to her stomach and she swallowed the bile that was rushing up her esophagus. "All of this proceeding reminds me of our little time together all those years ago."

"God."

"Maybe…" She felt his gun beginning to slide and closed her eyes. Her lips tightened together and she immediately started trying to think of ways to get away from him. "…one…"

He had a gun, he could shoot her if she ran, but he couldn't be that stupid. Still, this was the last time she would be parking in this particular garage. She'd park across from her office from now on and simply walk to the courthouse.

"Last-" His breath hit her and for a minute she thought she could feel her skin curdling.

"No."

"-time."

Trina stifled a gasp and clenched her fists as the cold steel of his gun pushed underneath her jacket and shirt, then touched the skin of her lower back."Unless of course, you want to go back to that courthouse and tell the judge to rethink his decision. Otherwise..." She closed her eyes and held her breath as the gun began to nudge her clothing upwards.

"Drop the weapon!" A voice echoed like explosions in her ears. Her eyes shot open and Andre pulled his gun away with a growl. She looked back to see Officer Sam Benson and several Sheriff deputies standing with guns ready. "Drop the weapon and step away from the attorney."

Trina whirled around and swung her arm in an arc into Andre's elbow. Andre stumbled back, dropping his gun and shouting violently. Samantha rushed forward and pulled his arms around his back.

Trina smirked as Andre lifted his eyes and flared his nostrils. She crossed her arms and listened to Sam's voice. "Andre Harris you're under arrest." Andre's shoulders rose and his lips spread away from his bared teeth.

"Under what charge?" He kept his eyes fixated on her, filling her with greater nausea and disgust. "I haven't done anything."

"Threatening a federal employee?"

"I'll be out in a week if that's my charge."

"Yeah. Sure." Sam cleared her throat and Trina swayed to the right. She was beginning to feel more comfortable in the presence of the officers, though safer was better as well. "You're under arrest for solicitation to commit a felony-"

"Wait what?" Andre twisted his head and raised his voice. "The prosecutors said they were dropping the solicitation charge."

"Nothing was signed," Trina replied curtly. "It was a consideration, never made final." Andre rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Whatever, I'll still get out." He smirked at her and swept his tongue across his upper lip. She choked on her breath and moved her hand up to her chest. "Then I'll find you. If my son's case isn't dismissed, I'll find you."

"Actually you won't do that either." Sam tightened her hold and he turned his head, growling slightly. "Now quit interrupting me. The charges for which you are under arrest are threatening a federal employee, solicitation, and of course, aggravated sexual assault." Trina smirked and Andre's eyes grew wide.

"What?!" Trina folded her arms and dug her nails into the skin. Andre gnashed his teeth at her. "You! You callow, sly, sneaky little bitch. Don't tell me you're trying to get me on a sexual assault charge."

Sam nudged him and started to push him towards her cop car. "Oh, how did you know she was the victim?"

He lunged forward, but was unable to break from Sam's grasp. Trina still took a step back. "That was thirty fucking years ago. You can't possibly make that case. Hell, you can't possibly have evidence."

"There's no statute of limitations on aggravated sexual assault, and while old evidence remains locked up, new evidence has also come to light." Andre growled and Sam's eyes slanted. "Now. You are aware that anything you say or do will probably be used against you in the court of law. Correct? You also have the right to remain silent, please use it and shut up."

Trina moved her hand over her mouth and peered at the gun on the ground. The memories flashed in her mind once more and she tore her gun away. "It's a Ruger," she said once Sam made her way back to her. "The same type he had…back then."

One of the officers picked up the gun with a gloved hand. "Are you going to be okay?" Trina looked to the cop car. Andre was in the back seat, glaring out the window and snarling.

There was no doubt in her mind he realized now he wouldn't be getting out of jail anytime soon. These days the San Francisco judges didn't grand bail for offenders charged with a sex offense.

He wouldn't be going anywhere until his trial. Judge Robert Walker would make certain of that. "I'll be alright now." She let out a heavy breath and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. "Not going to sleep easy tonight, but at least I have my family."

"If you'd like, I can escort you to your car. I'll have one of the deputies drive him to the jail."

"I would appreciate that." She dropped her hand and smiled slightly at Sam. "Thank you. If you would, I'd appreciate you driving me home." She was about to vomit and was still feeling shaky, too much to feel confident in driving herself.

"Of course."

"How goes the case?"

"The prosecutor thinks he can get an indictment by a grand jury with just what we have. That he's threatened you again, and that it looks like he sent his son after your daughter, the prosecutor feels like he can make that into a connection of some sort."

"Good. Good." She looked back to that car one last time and shook her head. "My daughter says I worry too much. Maybe now I can worry a little less knowing he's off the streets for now."

"Yeah, I would advise you to stay off social media for a while." She didn't need to be advised of that, she knew well enough to know Andre had fans that would try and rally together to get him out.

Judge Walker didn't cater to celebrities, so he could fight off the fans as long as he wanted to. The current DA was the same way, and with his tenure nearing an end, he couldn't be swayed to do something he disagreed with.

In the end it wasn't just fans protesting that Sam was likely warning her about. As hard as it was to stomach, she knew she'd have to deal with fans wanting to accuse her without knowing the facts.

"I'm not worried about whatever 'fans' he has. I have always been about justice and nothing else. Justice for the victims, celebrity or not, that's what I fight for."

"And now you have to trust someone else to bring justice for you." Sam pat her on the shoulder and started to walk with her to her car. "Have you considered taking some time off to be with your family?"

"Yes, but I need to handle this other case."

"My advice? Make it your only case and put off other cases you're working on. Be with your family, trust Mr. Tillman. You know I'll still need your statement, but not right now."

"Okay." She would certainly consider Sam's advice. The girl was right in that it might be a good idea for her to take some time off, but crime didn't take time off and neither did the law. "I'm not overstressed yet." She chuckled and ran her hand through her hair. "As Rachel might suggest, but maybe I will take a few days off from the office…"

* * *

They got him, Andre's in jail and Dean won't make bond. What are your thoughts on the chapter?


	23. Tori's Lament

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 23 (Tori's Lament)

"I was naïve when I was younger," Tori said as she walked down the beaten path of the local park. Her wrists were locked together behind her back, her shoulders were broad and her eyes seemed fixated on a center point before her.

Trina walked just a step behind her and to her left. "How so?" It was strange to hear Tori say something like this, but the woman must have a reason. Tori's head cocked to the right and her eyes slid out to the corners.

"I used to believe everyone in the world was inherently good, or that they had good qualities. I used to believe people could be trusted and that things in life would go as you planned them to be. When you believe all your dreams can become reality, when reality is those dreams are fantasy. I used to have those dreams."

"There's nothing wrong with that line of thinking. I would have given anything to feel that way towards people." Tori laughed and shook her head. Trina was surprised by the behavior.

"Says the woman now on friendly terms with Beck and Jade." Tori spun around and crossed her as she walked backwards. "I still can't wrap my head around how that exactly came about."

"I told you-"

"Yeah I know, Beck's your husband's long lost half-brother." Tori raised her left hand and waved it in front of her face. "I get that. I know Jade's changed, or I guess she has anyway. I stopped talking to them when I gave up on them ever being 'decent' people'." She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side.

Whatever turned Tori into a cynic, Trina wanted to know. "Still. There's nothing wrong in seeing the good in people. I mean, far be it from me to defend my rapist, but even he seems to want his son to live his life and not pay for something his father did…"

Tori shook her head and pointed. "You see. That's it. That's it right there." Trina followed Tori to a nearby cliff overlooking a large body of water. She locked her wrists behind her back and focused on her sister.

Tori's face was soft as her half-lidded eyes focused on the rippling water below as if it held some lingering memory. "I was blind. All my life I was blindly following a dream. I never realized how terrible things truly were." Trina reached for Tori's shoulder, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow.

"Sis…"

"I guess though you are right. I envy you." Tori's head turned and her lips slid into a tiny smile. "You're more of a mother to Rebecca than I could ever hope to be. You've faced tragedy and overcome." Trina dropped her hand and bowed her head for the moment. "You've got a fantastic career, family and friends who love you. Everything you've ever wanted, you got."

"What about you? You know just as well as I do none of that comes without hard work."

"And work hard I did." Tori looked back out to the lake below. The girl's hands balled up and her eyes grew narrow. "I achieved fame, but I never truly knew how little of a private life could become. I met a man I could fall for, one I thought I could raise a child with, but his life was cut down mercilessly and I lost my daughter."

Tori leaned her head back, laughing into the sky as her arms swept away from her hips. "The father of my daughter is an old obsessed friend that I had a drunken one night stand with, and the one friend I trusted above everyone in that circle of mine turned out to be the biggest demon in the group."

"Is that why you stopped seeing good in people?" Trina approached Tori and raised her hands up to the girl's shoulders. Tori turned her eyes into hers and shrugged. "The Tori I remember would never have given up on that."

"I'm not the same woman I was, and neither are you." Trina frowned. Tori's mouth twisted to a smirk. "My how the roles have reversed." Her hands slid away from her sister and a sigh drifted away from her lips. "You want to know the minute I stopped believing that everyone has something good in them? It wasn't when Andre confessed to me what he did to you, it wasn't when Robbie convinced me that having reconnecting would be 'fun', nor was it when I heard the news about Bradley's murder."

"When?"

"After all the slamming I got by the media and the paparazzi." Tori walked towards the path once more and Trina followed after her. "Being called a 'slut', hearing people say I was considering abortion, a baby-hater." Trina winced. She ran her hand across the back of her neck and watched as Tori's face crinkled with hatred and discussed. "'The biggest pop star whore since Miley Cyrus'."

Tori's arms crossed over and she started to growl. "When I thought maybe the social worker would understand. None of that was true. I loved my daughter, I wanted my daughter." Tears brimmed at Tori's eyes and her hands clenched tight. "I wanted a life with Bradley, he was waiting for me-waiting for me to erase my life from the public image so that we could live a normal life…so my daughter could be a kid."

"I understand."

"The damned CPS worker looked at me straight in the eyes and she told me 'The child would have a better life with a family that cares for her rather than a whorish celebrity mother that didn't want her to start with'." Tori wagged her finger in the air and turned to look to the right. "That was the final straw, that was the moment I decided that there were some people that just didn't have any good in them whatsoever. Heartless assholes and jackasses, soulless bastards who exist only to make your life a living nightmare."

Trina smiled sadly and reached around her sister, hugging her close. There were many things she thought to say, but she felt a hug would suffice. She didn't realize how bad some of the things the girl had been through were, despite that she knew Tori had been through rough patches.

"It isn't too late to have a life with your daughter. Even Dad's come back in." Tori leaned back, chuckling under her breath.

"Somehow you've forgiven him for all the shit he's put us through?"

"Working on it. He seems like he's truly changed or is trying to be better. He wants to know his grandchildren, and that's important." Tori paused for several seconds, her eyes held onto Tori and two lines stretched across her forehead. Trina studied them in silence, wondering what was on the girl's mind.

"It's strange."

"What is?"

"What Andre did to you-and even besides him-everything you've gone through whether it was Robbie's screwing with your harness or all of Jade's insults when you were growing up. I think sexual assault is one of the worst things someone can go through, and how he said he hurt you…how is it _now_ you see good in people? How do you believe anyone can change?"

"Because. When you're a lawyer you see people at their best and at their worst. You see the pain people go through whether innocent or guilty." There were monsters out there, such as Andre himself, who likely had very little good within them but even they had something. "You learn quickly that everybody has the ability to do good or to change, it's a matter of willpower above all else."

The disbelief was smoldering in her sister's eyes, enough to fill her heart with sorrow. "You know, I always tried to remind myself how you used to see people. Reminding myself that there had to be goodness inside someone because you always tried to be that optimistic person to see that."

"Yeah well, I suppose there is still something to be said for optimism. My daughter seems to have inherited the ability to assume goodness in most, despite what she's been through. Fortunately she doesn't appear to have inherited the ability to trust without sight."

"I don't know." She walked ahead of Tori, leading her down the path and watching the branches of the trees around them sway in the wind. "I get where you're coming from. I've been there. God knows without Jason, I'm not sure if I would have made it as well as I have."

Trina stepped up next to Tori and moved her hand up to the woman's back, rubbing gently. An old quote came to her mind, something she remembered being told by one of her college professors that stuck with her throughout her years.

"Happiness…" She spoke softly and curled her mouth up into a smile as Tori turned her head. "It isn't about getting whatever you want in life, but enjoying what you do have and being grateful with that."

Tori chuckled softly and closed her eyes. "It's easy to want more. I guess I've gotten used to cynicism. I didn't have somebody to pick me up, tell me everything would be okay." She furrowed her brow, watching as Tori shook her head and laughed. "I didn't have someone to take me by the hand and hold me when I needed them. So, you can understand why I might be envious of you. You and that big family of yours, and to think, you've managed to even get Dad to come back"

"I believe people can change, Tori. If they want it badly enough, they can. You've always been an inspiration to me because you used to believe in that so strongly."

Her stomach knotted up as she thought about Tori's problem; it was clear. The woman said it outright, she'd been alone most of her life. The man she came to care for was taken from her and she lost her daughter because of a self-righteous and arrogant case worker, and she had nobody to help her through it all.

"Even I had someone," she whispered to herself. Tori hummed for a second and Trina pulled her into a one armed hug. "You have me now, Tori. I'm here. You've got Rebecca. You don't have to be alone anymore."

Tori moved to a nearby tree and leaned sideways against it, digging her right shoulder into the trunk. Her arms folded neatly across her chest and her head leaned away. "You know? I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you more when I was younger, and you're probably right that I wouldn't have listened if you told me you were uncomfortable around Andre…as many times as I had that man over…"

"Don't even worry about it."

"No. I am." Tori's eyes fell down and her muscles appeared to tighten. "I'm sorry I didn't see the signs. I should have. When you left, I was upset…angry, hurt, I felt betrayed because you didn't even think to take me with you."

She extended her arm and opened her mouth, but dropped it without a word. "I understand why that was now, but I was angry. I vented to Jade and the others and at some point of time during all the complaining about you, he said something. I don't remember what it was, but Andre said something that made me just…stop…"

"Oh?"

"I was disgusted. I realized that I was pushing you away too by just going on and on to them. Jade said something, I also don't remember exactly what it was anymore, but it turned me away from her and Beck."

Trina started to frown and wondered what it could have been, but with such a long time passing by, it didn't really matter. "Is that why you've been a little distant towards them? You talked to Jade, but aside from that one time, not much."

"Yeah, but you're right, she and Beck seem different now." Tori scratched at her collarbone and took a deep breath. "Easier to talk to, easier to get along with and more understanding."

"What could they have said that was so bad? I mean if _Andre_ said something that made you snap like you say, but you were still friends with him into college when you weren't with Jade or Beck…"

Tori pressed her lips together and pushed away from the tree. "Correction, I was loose friends with Andre." Trina raised an eyebrow. She held her breath and shut her eyes. "We went to the same college, so we talked but not as frequent. He said something about you that creeped me out, but I wasn't sure why it did until the night he called me to pick his drunk ass up from the bar."

"And what did Jade say?" She swayed her arms out, chuckling nervously. "She agree with something he said or something?"

Tori paused, holding her eyes thoughtfully onto Trina for several seconds. "No." Lines stretched away from her lips and her eyebrows closed together, pushing up a small wrinkle between them. "It was nothing. Nothing to worry about now, nothing important enough. If I've forgotten, then it was nothing."

Trina squinted her eyes and dropped her hands to her hips. "You haven't forgotten. Whatever happened caused you to separate from all of them." Tori was protecting her from something, or at least that's what she assumed since it was clear the woman was hiding something. "Jade said something?"

"She's not the same person she was in high school. She's grown since then, like we all have. I have nothing to say about her back then that would be important or even relevant anymore, Trina. You've become friends with her and with Beck, and I'm glad to see that. Whatever she said to me during a moment where _I_ was angry with you doesn't reflect who she is now. Repeating it would only cause problems that don't need to exist between the two of you."

Her hands fell and a sinking sensation grew inside her, giving her the feeling that she was about to vomit. "Was it that bad?" Tori shook her heads.

"Not as bad as anything she said before, and certainly not as bad as anything Andre said." Trina closed her eyes and brought her hand to her chest, breathing out a sigh of relief as Tori flashed a reassuring smile. "It was only something that really, it just made me realize I was spending time with the wrong people."

"You know…" Her heartbeat was racing in her palm, but not so much that she was frantic or concerned. "It's not just the two of us starting over. It's all of us. You, me, Dad, Rebecca, Jade and Beck. You should get to know them now, give them a chance. They're here for you too, it's not just because they're related to Jason."

"Yeah." Tori ran her hand over the back of her neck and turned her face towards the sun. "Yeah. That's what I'm going to do. Believe it or not, it is nice to have you back, and I'm glad to have Rebecca back in my life, even if it took seventeen years to find her."

"What's seventeen years when you've got the rest of your life?" Tori smiled vaguely and shrugged. "Sure you didn't get to raise her, but she's become so strong and she's willing to be a part of your life."

"She thinks highly of you." Trina smiled as Tori let out a laugh. "She's kept up with your legal actions for so long I'd like to think a part of you raised her without knowing. She says you devote yourself to getting justice for the families of victims." Tori hugged herself and her voice grew so quiet the wind could overpower it. "Bradley…The person that killed him…You handled that case."

"I did." The corners of her mouth slid into her cheeks and Tori looked up with a curious glance. "That man is gone for good, he'll never hurt anyone again."

"Thank you. Really. Thank you." Trina watched as Tori's eyes closed and her head leaned back, letting the breeze blow her hair behind her. Tori's shoulders and chest rose for a moment and her lips separated an inch.

"You were in love."

"Yes. We met when he wanted to interview me about my views on an animal cruelty case he was researching. I thought it was strange and I liked that for once a reporter didn't want to talk about me but thought enough of me to think my views about the world were relevant…we continued to talk and soon he asked me if I wanted coffee and he knew how to find a place the paparazzi wouldn't be able to snap photos of me."

"Ah!" Trina smirked. "So that's why there are no pictures of the two of you together." Tori's eyebrows rose and laughter tore from her lips.

"He was excellent at keeping me out of the limelight. I think it helped that he was an investigative reporter himself, he knew where the paparazzi would lurk. We'd meet in some obscure location and I'd slink into his car. Some days we would just drive…with no destination in mind."

Tori hugged herself once more and bowed her head. Trina wasn't surprised when she saw the tears glistening on the woman's face, but she was moved. "When I was pregnant, I was terrified he'd leave me, but he didn't. He just…he understood."

"Like Jason?"

"Yeah. He was good to me, said he'd be happy to adopt Rebecca as his own while I went through the process of hiring an attorney to give me a clean slate-to make the public forget about me the best they could."

"I'm sorry he's gone, and I'm sorry you lost Rebecca."

Tori scoffed. "I had 'no legal right' to my own daughter, according to that CPS agent. I gave up all legal rights when Bradley took full custody, and she didn't believe me when I told her that I was in love and engaged."

"What was the name of that agent?" She flared her nostrils and closed her hands. "Didn't you maintain your parental rights?"

"Deborah Bates, and yes, but none of that mattered." Tori shrugged again and continued walking down the path. Trina followed close behind, seething at the thought of this social worker. "She wanted to save the daughter from the terrible person that I was." Tori rolled her eyes and a rumbling vibration left Trina's throat. "But of course, the way Rebecca talks about the foster families she's been through…the fact that she was on such bad terms that she had to emancipate herself. I can't help but wonder, would she _really_ have been better off?"

"I think you would have made a great mother. You deserved to be one."

"I have that opportunity now, like you said. With Bradley's killer behind bars, I can say I'm glad you were there. Fighting for him, and for Rebecca.

"You as well." Tori glanced back over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow as a smile spread over Trina's face. "I try to get justice for all victims involved, and that includes you. Or, at the time of the case, Mr. Wilson's 'unidentified lover'."

Tori threw her head back with a trembling laugh. "Unidentified-oh that's great."

"I guess he did his job keeping it secret."

"Yeah. That's good." Tori swept a finger across her eyelid and let out a heavy sigh. "Now you. I hope Mr. Tillman will fight for you to get the justice you deserve. I hope Andre goes away for the rest of his life."

"I trust Mr. Tillman, he's always fought for the victim as much as I have, that's why I assigned the case to him."

"Good. Good. You've done so much, it's time someone fights to give you justice. It takes a strong person to get up there, to testify like you are going to do."

"Truth? I'm terrified. I'm scared to look Andre in the eyes in that courtroom." He was like poison to be around, corrupting the very air that she breathed, but she could make it through this. It was the ultimate test of her own strength, she'd been a victim fighting for victims for so long and now she had to trust someone else to do the same for her. It wasn't going to be easy, and she knew it.

"You'll be alright. We all will. When you're on that stand, don't look at him, look at us. We're a family, and we're bound together no matter what. Stronger together than we are apart."

* * *

So much that Tori's had to deal with, but she finally gets a chance to have her daughter in her life. That CPS agent can actually be sued too. What are your thoughts on everything in this chapter? Do tell. ALSO on my end, I'm doing a study abroad trip and will be in London during the month of July, so updates may grind to a slow pull if not a halt for the next month. I _will_ get back on board once August comes around


	24. The Flame Grows

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 24 (The Flame Grows)

As she sat over her desk, focusing on the paperwork she was signing off on, she heard the sound of something hitting her desk. Trina glanced up to see Rebecca letting go of a coffee mug. "I made some coffee for the office," Rebecca said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind."

"Thank you." She set her pen down and reclined in her chair. "How are you liking it here?" Rebecca's eyes lit up and the girl's mouth spread open into a large smile.

"I love it. Everyone here I so nice. I enjoy filing away the folders-I've already started working on alphabetizing them." Rebecca's gusto was impressive, and very admirable. If she kept up like this, the girl might be here for a long time.

"Good to hear you like it here." She folded her arms and leaned sideways a bit. "So how are you enjoying things with your mother?"

Rebecca's mouth opened and she quickly moved to the chair before Trina's desk. "She's great. She was telling me about dad and what he was like, how much she cared about him and everything." The girl stared down at her fingers, locking them together. "I um…I didn't know mom was kept from getting me and that she was trying so hard to get back to dad."

"She wanted you to have a normal life, not the life of a celebrity's child, and she wanted to be there to watch you grow. Now you two have the rest of your lives." She was still furious at this CPS worker, and to make matters worse in her mind, she knew the woman. The woman worked with her on multiple occasions throughout the years.

"Yeah, I don't know how to thank you."

"I'm your aunt." She smirked playfully and swayed gently in her chair. "You don't need to thank me. Just do a good job as an intern and all will be well." Tori was already getting onto her for doing so much more than needed when it came to Rebecca, but the woman was grateful as well.

"I sure will." Trina's office phone started to ring and her eyes flew towards the grey receiver. Rebecca jumped to her feet. "I'll get back to work and let you grab that." Trina picked up the receiver and nodded to her niece before moving the phone to her ear.

The first voice that came on the line was of an automated woman informing her she had a call from the county jail. Her heart stalled momentarily as she speculated whether this might be Andre-a fear that was only so recent. "Dean Harris," said the recorded tone as though it were a voicemail machine.

Trina rolled her eyes and smiled as she struck the zero button to accept the call. Despite what Dean had done to her family, she still felt sorry for him. Part of her felt as though he were genuinely remorseful and wouldn't have committed his crime had it not been for his father.

That part of her hoped he might consider a plea deal, and she was considering the possibility of asking Judge Walker for some leniency. Dean was already suffering, he was already experiencing his punishment and she felt as though he would suffer more if he knew what his father had done.

"Hello Dean." She reclined and slid her left hand along the surface of her desk. "To what do I owe this phone call? Has it been sanctioned with Mr. Riles?"

"I was talking to Kimberly." She moved her eyes towards her hand and watched the veins beneath the surface slide as she tapped her fingers on the desk. "She says our dad was arrested."

"Your sister is correct."

"I-" Dean started to stammer and his voice shook with a mighty quake. "I asked her because I thought it was said the prosecution was letting the solicitation charge slide but-"

"Nothing was signed or agreed upon." Trina's voice tensed and her eyelids fell halfway. Dean hesitated, nearly choking, before saying anything else. She sensed there was more to what he was calling for, and when she heard him choke out a quiet sob, her fear was validated.

"Kimberly said something about sexual assault. Our dad's been arrested on sexual assault." She closed her eyes and shut her lips, listening to his frantic and shallow breathing. "Was that why it was so easy for him to order…god…I can't think my dad-but he wouldn't. Would he? When? When-"

Then he stopped and Trina heard no further breathing. She opened her eyes and her right eyebrow rose. Talking could be heard in the background, as well as the slamming of doors and footsteps, so she knew he was still on.

"Dean?"

"You?" She released a heavy breath and bowed her head as Dean began whimpering and breathing rapidly. "It makes sense now. No…please tell me…tell me it isn't. My pa's an asshole, he always has been. He beat my mama growing up, he beat me and then there's Kimberly, but…"

Trina reclined her head and felt a sharp pain shoot across her chest. Her face tightened and her lips separated as she winced. "Why are you and Kimberly with your father, Dean? Why not your mom?"

"When she divorced him he used his money and power to convince the judge she wasn't mentally fit. It was a whole bunch of bullshit. They both have restraining orders on each-Mr. Riles says I shouldn't discuss that."

"It's probably best you don't discuss it with me, Dean." It had less to do with incriminating himself and more to do with his father's case and her being the victim. As she discussed with Mr. Tillman, she was completely hands off with Andre. "I put my full trust in your father's prosecuting attorney."

"You're not denying it." His voice rose and was laced with worry. "You're not-oh god." She could almost feel him shaking as each breath he took was done with a gasp. "Oh god my father did all that to you? He wanted me-oh god."

Trina closed her eyes and moved her left hand over her forehead, listening to Dean as he began to weep. He tried to speak but his words were shrouded between his sobs. "I'm sorry Dean. I wanted to protect you from that truth, but I knew you were going to learn that about your father when he was arrested."

"Why? Why did you tell me?"

"Because you're twenty years old. You have your entire life ahead of you, and that man…has put you on a path that you _do not need to be on_."

Dean began sniffing and mumbling under his breath. "I-I can't. I can't. You told me he-he held you under-oh god." The boy let out a loud wailing sound, and while she wanted to try and console him, she knew it was best to let him have this cry.

That he was this upset was a good sign to her, she knew he would at least be somewhat deterred from committing another act like this and it was his first offense. "Dean. Have you spoken to Mr. Riles about any sort of pleas?"

"I-I have. Mrs. Tyler I…" He coughed multiple times and she heard him struggling to speak over the shakiness in his voice. "I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry I hurt your family, your daughter. I'm sorry I hurt your nephew and I really am. If I knew-if I knew what my father did to you-I don't know if I would have listened."

"I have a feeling your father wouldn't have taken to you fighting him on it. I assume Mr. Riles has spoken to the DA if you've decided on taking a plea?"

"The DA's offering ten years. It would be more, but I'm willing-I'm going to testify against my father." That made sense to her, the DA's office usually offered reduced sentences for those willing to testify against another individual.

"So you have discussed a plea of guilt with your attorney, then?"

"Yes."

"You realize that if you take a plea of guilt and testify against your father, you will be saving your life but condemning his?"

There was a pause that was followed by Dean taking a deep breath. "Yes." If Dean's case went to trial, it was more than likely he would have received at least thirty or forty years. He was ineligible for probation, but because the victims were alive he might be eligible for parole.

"Dean. I'm going to talk to the judge and your attorney, I'm also going to talk with the victims-my family. You will have to do jail time, but you do not need your life destroyed because of your father."

"Just tell me-did he-do you think what he wanted me to do was to get back at you or?"

"I can't tell you that."

She couldn't tell him because she didn't know. While it certainly appeared to be connected, and she wouldn't put it past Andre, she didn't know if it truly was him attacking her through her daughter

"Mrs. Tyler, can I ask you something else?" She rolled her head to the right and her eyes flicked up at the door. "I um, listen, I know my mom. She's not a terrible person, she's nothing like my dad makes her out to be."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because. Kimberly…she says she wants to go to mom but the lady isn't going to let her." She moved to a more upright position and narrowed her eyes as Tori's situation came to her mind. "Kimmy is only twelve. She's going to be sent to foster care because Dad can't take care of her anymore and I-well you know…she deserves to be with mom, mom deserves to have her."

"The social worker isn't letting her be with your mom?"

"Kim says-she says the lady doesn't believe mom's a good fit. Dad slandered mom to make her out to be a drug addict and irresponsible. He spun a bunch of stories and used money to get what he wanted but mom would be a better parent."

"I'm not a civil attorney but if your mother can prove herself capa-" A strange sensation struck her numb and she could feel the air in her lungs evaporating. Trina glanced at the appointment book on her desk, she had arranged for a meeting with Deborah Bates in thirty minutes.

The name was sounding out in her head like an alarm, and on instinct she needed to ask. "Who is that caseworker for your little sister?" Dean's answer came out smooth and clear despite the continued sniveling in his voice.

"Some old social worker Debora something. Kimberly…" He laughed once as though to break from his nervousness. "Kimberly said the lady looked like she 'needs to retire'."

"Bates? Deborah Bates?"

"Yeah! That's it. Kimberly said the woman wasn't even talking to mom. Mom was trying to get ahold of her but she won't even take any calls. Why? You know the woman?"

"I've got an appointment with her in half an hour." She grabbed a pen in her left hand and started crushing it with her grip. "She won't have a job much longer."

"W-What?"

Trina wasn't letting this woman destroy another family. If Dean was right about his mother, then Kimberly didn't need to lose her mom and her brother because of what her father did. "Right now the most innocent person in your family is your sister."

"Yeah. She doesn't deserve what's been going on."

"Things will work out." She heard a knock and looked up to see Mr. Tillman standing in the doorway with a folder in his hand. "I must go. Talk to your attorney, Dean."

"I will. Mrs. Tyler, I…I can't say it enough, but I am sorry. I know you mustn't believe me, and I don't think anything I can say or do will ever take back what I did but I am so sorry. I would never have…I couldn't-I am _not_ my father."

"You don't have to be."

"I'm not."

"Goodbye." He said his parting words and she hung up with a heavy sigh. Trina released the grip on her pen and glanced up to Mr. Tillman. "Scott?"

"I thought I'd let you know how the case is going." She frowned as the man entered her office. It was difficult since she told him she didn't want to hear anything about the case as it revolved around her, but some pieces were necessary for her to know because she was the victim. "The prosecution has found another witness to testify against Andre Harris."

"You've already got his son and his twelve year old daughter, and I'm going up there. Who else is going to testify? His son and daughter are already witnesses to his character."

"His Ex-wife. She called." Trina leaned over her desk and laced her fingers over her mouth and chin. "She's the one that divorced him, alleging that their entire marriage was forced upon her. Their oldest child is a product of…" She closed her eyes and raised her right palm, signaling him to stop.

Her stomach twisted up and he apologized. It was normal for them to discuss cases in detail in such a manner within the office because they would get input from the other attorneys, and that habit made something like this difficult.

"I'm going to speak my mind for one second, how I've been feeling lately. This is me speaking as me, not as a prosecuting attorney." Scott smiled sadly and nodded. "I wish someone would put that monster down like the mad dog he is."

"Careful, you don't want to insult dogs everywhere." He smirked playfully and she chuckled once. "I know you're going through a lot, you're more than welcome to take time off you know…you're the boss, after all."

"I've got things to take care of."

"I know."

"Are you saying he did it again?" She was shooting herself in the foot with that question, but her curiosity had been peaked.

"The witness alleges that he spiked her drink one night. They were engaged and she'd been refusing to have sex until marriage according to her allegation. She says he was pushy and dominant, but still…there's no proof and she was engaged to him…"

"So it's technically her word against his."

"It's still your case, she is testifying to his controlling nature. She is testifying that yes, he's done this again." She closed her eyes. Her forehead tensed and two lines stretched away from between her brow.

"God I wish Sam would have shot him in that parking garage."

"I am sorry. I you might not have wanted to hear this."

"No." She leaned back slowly, dropping her hands to the desk. "I would have found out the day of the trial. It's better that you told me now." She would have felt like shit at the trial if she heard the news then.

There was still a nauseated swelling in her stomach, just knowing that Andre might have done this to somebody else. She already hated him, he ruined her life for a long time-she allowed him to control her for several years before finally putting him behind her.

To think that he did this to somebody else spurned her. "Scott?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Do the best you can at this trial." Scott nodded and her eyes narrowed. "I don't give a shit that he's a fucking celebrity. Celebrities think they can get away with stuff because they're 'famous', they're 'loved'-"

"He won't. I'll try for life if I have to. We'll show the world celebrities still have to pay for their crimes as well-but more importantly…justice will be given. To you after all these years, you deserve this."

"No." She closed her hand and stared blankly at the corner of her desk. "No he needs to be put away, he needs to pay. He needs to not hurt anyone else. His son, his daughter, his ex-wife all deserve to be safe. If he really has done it again, then that means he might not have stopped…the bastard went after _my daughter_."

"He won't go after anybody again, Trina. You have my word, I will give my all in this case." She looked up at him and held her breath for a moment. "You've done so much for the victims all these years, each one you've represented and treated as if they were your own—now I understand why more so." He cleared his throat and nodded at her. "I will do better than my best to represent you, and like you've done for all your victims, I will bring justice for you."

"Thank you. Thank you."

"But, I still think you should be with your family. After all, you did try to locate them and they came back into your life. They're here for you now, you'll need their support."

"I know, and I will." She smiled at him and glanced past him to see Rebecca guiding a woman to the office. The woman was tall and had short, curly blonde hair. She was much older, somewhere in her sixties by the looks of the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth.

"Aunt Trina you have someone to see you," Rebecca stated, "Ms. Bates." There was a nervous glint in her niece's eyes, though Deborah didn't appear to recognize the girl.

Trina flashed a knowing smile and slanted her eyes. "Ah yes, do come in and sit down. Both of you." Rebecca furrowed her brow and followed Deborah hesitatingly. "This will be informative."

* * *

So what are your thoughts in this chapter? How do you think Deborah's about to be dealt with, and should Dean take a deal? He's not getting off but he's getting less time in exchange for taking a guilty plea and testifying against his father. What do you think about everything revealed regarding his mother, and even Kimberly? Is Trina going to be able to "rescue" Kimberly from Deborah, and Rebecca's about to hear the full truth about why this social worker kept her from her mom. Tori's likely explained it, but now Rebecca gets to sit in on this as though it were a trial.


	25. Opinionated Social Worker

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 25 (Opinionated Social Worker)

"Let me first begin by introducing you to our intern. Rebecca." Deborah smiled at the girl, but Rebecca barely turned her head to look at the woman. For as polite as the girl normally appeared, this didn't come as a shock to Trina. "You may have heard her refer to me as 'Aunt', that is because she is my niece."

"Oh how kind of you to give your niece a job," Deborah replied as though she didn't realize what Trina was saying. The woman worked for the prosecutor's office for many years, it was to Trina's dismay that Tori said it was this woman she dealt with. "You must be thrilled Rebecca."

"Yeah," Rebecca answered under her breath. The girl shook her head and looked up to Trina. "I think Miss Bonnie had some folders for me to file." Trina scratched at her chin and shook her head.

"Stay here sweetie, I want you to observe this." Rebecca nodded and Deborah raised an eyebrow. "I assume you've spoken to your mom already?" She watched the girl glare at Deborah, a relieving sign that she already knew the story.

"Not everything, but I know more than I did." Deborah frowned at the girl and gave Trina a confused look. Trina wasted no time getting to the point. She did her best to keep calm and spoke only with a soft and quiet voice.

"Now Ms. Bates. I've spoken to your supervisor and she has heard some severe allegations-as have I. We've agreed as of this time you've been placed on a suspension without pay, and you will no longer be working with the children of our clients."

Deborah's mouth opened and her eyes started to grow. "What? I-I don't understand. I'm being fired?"

"Essentially. You're suspended until further notice, but the allegations made against you are being researched." Trina turned in her chair and leaned sideways over the right armrest, then pressed her body against her right arm with her elbow digging into the letter. "As a matter of fact, Ms. Bates…"

She reached her left hand to an envelope on her desk and lifted it up. Her expression remained stoic and her gaze locked onto the woman, who now appeared to be sweating. "You've also got a court summons."

The woman swiped the envelope away and ripped it open, then yanked the folded sheet of paper out. Trina's gaze slid towards her niece and she smiled reassuringly as Rebecca leaned over Deborah's shoulder.

Rebecca's mouth opened and her eyes looked to be larger than the glasses on her nose. "I'm being sued?" Deborah's hand rose to her chest and she gasped.

"You have some questionable methods, Ms. Bates. It's alleged that you played judge and jury with parents, that you have torn children from parents who actually could care for their children, that you have done this with blatant disregard for any evidence proving their capability."

Deborah started to stutter, looking between the letter and Trina with disbelief. "But I-In all my years!"

"In our line of work, we rely on _factual information._ " It wasn't often that Trina raised her voice or shouted at someone, but sitting here in front of Deborah, she was tempted to yell. She wanted to impress upon her niece the importance of remaining calm and cool under pressure, no matter how tough.

At the same time she wanted Rebecca to see justice done, she wanted Deborah to know whose life she nearly destroyed with her ill judgment.

"Perfectly capable parents deserve to raise their children, and children deserve to be with families that care about them. We have our own opinions, our own judgments, but if we rely solely on those without hearing the facts…" She paused and glanced at Rebecca, then took a slow and deep breath. "We hold the lives of many people in our hands, Ms. Bates. We cannot afford to let our own biases destroy innocent lives. You precisely, you work with children. If you let your own philosophy take children from good parents and place them in homes where they are worse off, then you have destroyed a life."

"I don't understand. I've done my best to ensure-"

"Do you recognize my niece?" Deborah furrowed her brow and turned her head to the girl. Rebecca bowed her head and clasped her hands in her lap. "Look up at the lady, if you will, Rebecca dear." She heard the girl swallow and watched as she glanced up to the woman. Tears brimmed at her eyelids and the corners of her mouth twitched as Deborah started to squint. "Rebecca Wilson is her name. Her father was murdered when she was not only five years old. She was placed in foster homes that neglected her, and she is now an emancipated teen."

"I…" Deborah looked at the note and her hand moved over her mouth. "Victoria Vega-Wilson? The ex-pop star? She's suing me? Wait…but you said-" Trina leaned forward and spoke with a deeper tone.

"My maiden name, Ms. Bates, is Vega. That is my sister, and I was informed that you blatantly denied her the right to her daughter because of what the media was saying about her."

Deborah stammered some more, saying nothing coherent. Rebecca wiped her eyelids with a finger and cleared her throat. "Mom was going to marry daddy, she wanted to give me a normal childhood. She was leaving fame behind _for me_ , but you didn't let her."

"Sweetie." Deborah tried to speak with a sweet tone, flashing a smile at Rebecca and sliding her hand down to her chest. "That woman was going to abort you."

"She wanted me." Rebecca's voice rose and her hand smacked down on her leg. "She wasn't going to abort me, those were lies said by the paparazzi. She did everything she could!"

"She wasn't a responsible parent. She was too busy partying and having sex."

"It was one time." Rebecca's tears streaked down her face, blending in with the freckles on her cheekbones. Trina's heart broke for her, but she knew this was what Rebecca needed. "She loved my dad. She didn't give up her parental rights either, you just listened to the lies being spread about her!"

"As far as I know I saved you from a terrible life."

"Saved me?" Rebecca stood up and started wheezing. Trina looked around her desk, searching for Rebecca's inhaler as she knew the girl was asthmatic. She also needed to calm Rebecca down quickly. "You didn't save me, my father was just murdered!"

Rebecca flung her arm out to the door. Her face was starting to turn a shade of red. "My first foster home neglected me, they said I shouldn't even cry about what happened to my dad anymore. They had no heart! My second family gave me up when they had a baby of their own and my last ones were borderline abusive."

"But-"

"Rebecca." Trina pulled the inhaler from her desk and cleared her throat. Rebecca stopped and turned with a slight whimper as Trina extended the inhaler. "Please. I know you're upset, but let me deal with this. I only wanted you to be here to see this done, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be okay Aunt Trina. I just…I…" Rebecca put her arms to her hips and sniffled. "Ms. Bates, my mom is a choir teacher. She has a simple home and a good income, she's done nothing wrong and is still single."

"Still single? Dear you need two parents-"

"I will testify to my sister's character," Trina replied calmly. Deborah looked over and started to frown. Trina set her left hand on her desk and folded her right hand over it, patting it gently. "That's something you're supposed to look at when considering a parent's ability to take care of their child, correct? You need to speak with family and friends."

"Y-Yes, that is correct." Deborah turned back towards her and began fluffing her hair.

"Then you'll hear it now. My sister is the one that has always had the big heart. She has always been optimistic, she has been responsible. Yes she's made poor judgments from time to time, but she has always done her best to do right."

Trina raised her right fingers, stretching them out. Rebecca sat slowly and gently took the inhaler in her hands. "Now my sister has gone to parties in her life, like many people do, but in all the years that I've known her, she's never had sex without reason-without trusting someone-she does not sleep around."

"She called my mom a 'whore'." Deborah winced and Trina clicked her tongue. The problem here was no social worker was allowed to say such things, even if it might be true, they simply could not say it.

"Did you allow for my little sister to explain herself, to prove her situation?"

"I-I…" Deborah bowed her head and closed her fists up, crumpling the paper in her left hand. "I did not, ma'am."

"You realize that by being sued, that means the plaintiff has to prove that she was capable at the time of raising her child. There must also be proof that Rebecca would have been better off with her as opposed to the foster parents."

"Yes."

"There must be proof that you've erred in her judgement as well." Trina curled her hand in the air and used it as a perch for her head. Her left fingernails tapped the desk rhythmically. "As I am a criminal attorney, you won't have to worry about me prosecuting you since this is more of a civil matter, but I will still give my statement to investigators."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but did you know your sister at the time?"

"I was not present in her life, but I can certainly testify to her character and to the character of the man that she slept with. Robert Shapiro has always been obsessive, he was once a friend of hers and he stalked her as well, I believe the media reported back then that she was drunk-and she tells me that Mr. Shapiro convinced her to continue drinking until they were both drunk and they slept together."

"I-I see." Deborah began to shake as though she'd recently acquired Parkinson's. "To my own admission I didn't give her time to explain her situation. It seemed so obvious to me, and she was a celebrity, you know celebrities can't take care of children! They only care about themselves."

Rebecca scoffed and started to say something, but stopped when Trina raised her hand up. "That is your own opinion, Ms. Bates. It isn't a professional opinion and it is not backed up by factual evidence."

She crossed her arms and shook her head once more. "It's come to my attention that you are doing the same thing to another child. A mother, whom is claimed to be perfectly capable is being ignored because of the claims her father-a man with a record of manipulation and criminal behavior says of her."

"A man who attained custody of his children."

"So you know who I am talking about?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Have you heard the mother's side yet?"

Deborah clamped her lips together and Trina watched the lines form around them. She hummed and slowly rolled her head to the other side. "Your silence tells me no. Have you done any background checks on this woman? Have you spoken with family and friends?"

There came again no response, but the silence was damning.

Trina sighed and pointed to the letter in Deborah's hand. "In light of this suit against you, and the suspension, you are hereby relieved of all duty. That means you will not be responsible for Kimberly Harris."

"But-"

"Where is Miss Harris right now?"

Rebecca narrowed her eyes and Deborah pulled her hand up to her forehead. "She's…in a childcare facility." Trina swallowed the urge to growl and looked towards her niece in time to study the frustrated look on her face.

"Ms. Bates, has there been any evidence to suggest that Mrs. Harris is incapable of taking care of her daughter for the time being? Does Mrs. Harris retain any custodial rights?"

"No there hasn't, ma'am, and yes she does have joint custody of her daughter."

Trina folded her elbows on the desk and tapped her fingertips together before her face. "Then why, may I ask…" Her eyes closed and her lips pulled apart to release a sudden breath. "Is she not with her mother?"

"I-" Deborah began to huff and push her fingers into her hair like a comb. "She's been trying, but I've been protecting that girl from the woman. There are claims from the father that the woman is a drug addict."

"Have any medical records surfaced to verify that claim?"

Another long pause came, leaving heavy tension to build in the silent room. The next response came from Rebecca, hidden behind a low growl. "That girl's father is a cold hearted, callous, lying, manipulative _bastard!_ You're going to destroy another girl's entire life because you believe _him?!"_

"I'm only doing what I think is best."

"Well you're wrong," Trina remarked. Deborah frowned as she dropped her hands to the de0sk. "Until we see evidence of the contrary-and I will get a judge's order-Kimberly Harris will be returned to her mother. Now is a time mother and daughter need each other more than ever, and I would not see them torn apart because you choose to disregard anything but your own biased opinion."

Trina's eyes slanted more and the tension grew thick like a dense smog around them. "I wouldn't have even known my niece existed if I didn't volunteer to prosecute that reporter's case. I didn't know I had a niece until recently, but had you done your job at the time, maybe I would have known long ago. Surely, if you didn't find my sister fit to be a parent, you would have found me to be."

"I-"

"The only reason you're on suspension without pay instead of being entirely without a job is because your supervisor was kind enough to insist on waiting until these allegations are proven accurate." She was livid now, and her anger burned like a flame in her eyes. "Consider that a good thing, because if I had my way, I'd be a hypocrite, firing you for my own judgment."

"Well." Deborah pulled her purse strap over her shoulder and looked off to the side. "With what you're going through now with that man, your judgement is probably too impaired." The statement was said in such an offhand manner that it may as well have been the woman thinking out loud.

It struck Trina like a slap to the face. Rebecca's eyes widened and Trina flared her nostrils. Bile shot up into her throat and her mouth twisted into a snarl just as Deborah's wide eyes shot back to her-the woman had just realized what came out of her mouth.

"Excuse me?"

"I uh I didn't mean that how it came out. I just-I mean you're certainly emotional and-"

"That has never stopped me from being sensible, from seeing reason." Trina stood from her chair and leaned over her desk. Her arms were extended to the surface and her fingers were wrapped around the edge of her desk. She started to raise her voice, still seething with anger. "My judgment is perfectly fine, Ms. Bates. What Mr. Harris did to me is none of your concern, and how I am handling that case is also _not_ of your concern."

"I apologize, I spoke out of turn."

"Believe me your supervisor will hear of this. It appears you have a record of 'speaking out of turn'." She raised her hand and pointed to the door, already sick to her stomach with having to deal with Deborah in her presence. "We're finished here. Get out of my office, know that you will never work for this county again."

"Mrs. Tyler-"

"I believe I've made myself clear."

"She did," Rebecca added with a smirk. Deborah stood up and swallowed heavily. "As they said in her time, don't let the door hit you where the dog should have bit you!"

Trina closed her eyes, stifling a laugh, she was so proud of Rebecca in this moment. Deborah left, likely with her whatever was left of her dignity, and Trina sank back into her chair with a slump.

"Aunt Trina? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, honey." She ran her hand across her forehead, sighing heavily as Rebecca started to smile. "Are you?"

"I'm okay. I'm…glad this happened, and glad mom's able to file a suit against that woman." Rebecca walked over to her and slid her arms around Trina's neck, soothing her and bringing a smile to her face. "Thank you…thank you for saving that girl too. I don't know if she'll know what you did, but I think she'll be grateful."

"We still don't know what that girl's mom is like, but I'm not going to let that woman take another child away from a potentially good mother."

Rebecca hugged her tighter. "Good. I don't want someone else to go through what I did because some social worker cared more about herself than the child. Thank you again, Aunt Trina…I love you."

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and her mouth twisted into a wide grin. "You too, sweetie. You too." She reached up and pat the back of Rebecca's head. "Things are going to get a lot better for you, I promise you that. In fact, you tell Tori, Jason and I have a surprise for her."

"Oh? What kind of surprise?"

"Well…" Rebecca pulled away and raised her eyebrows as Trina reached for a small business card on her desk. "Between me and you, your mom's been alone all these years. Jason and I were talking and he mentioned working with someone that was a really old friend of your mother, I thought perhaps we could reintroduce them. Just to give her someone else to spend time with."

"Yes!" Rebecca gushed and looked at the business card. "Who is Ian Dennison? Does he work for Uncle Jason?"

"No, he's a pediatrician, and a good friend of Jason's. They've worked together many times, he helped deliver my son and sometimes looks after Michelle if we can't book an appointment quickly with her primary care physician."

"She was born premature, right? So when she needs an appointment, she needs one fast…"

"Right." She frowned and dropped her shoulders. "She's still got a lot to deal with, but she's making great progress." She raised her shoulders back up. "Jason spoke with Ian the other day and he said he'd be happy to meet with Tori again sometime. They knew each other before she ever went to Hollywood Arts."

"So, when she went to Sherwood? She told me a little about Sherwood-she seems fond of that place."

"Well, she did have some of her best memories there too. Just because she went to Hollywood Arts doesn't mean Sherwood wasn't important to her as well." Trina spun her chair towards Rebecca and folded her hands over her abdomen. "Not to plant any ideas in your head, but not only were they close friends back there, but your mom had a massive crush on him, if I recall."

Rebecca's eyes widened and her mouth opened into a wide grin. "You're serious? I mean, I know she was in love with my dad and all but it's been almost two decades, I mean I don't want her to be lonely."

"Well she has you and her family now sweetie, I don't think she's going to be lonely."

"Well, I hope mom starts to date again. I mean, if she found the right person, do you think she would?"

"Maybe. For now, we all have a lot on our plates-so that is probably something far from any of our minds." She really just wanted to reintroduce Ian and Tori so that she could have somebody else to talk to, someone that was familiar to her and from a place that was good to her.

That wasn't to suggest Hollywood Arts wasn't good to her, and while it was easy for people to disregard Sherwood and consider it unimportant; it still bore significant impact to Tori.

Compared to current events, all Tori could think of regarding Hollywood Arts was either Andre and Robbie-two men that probably caused her a great deal of anguish. With all that was going on, Trina was sure her sister wasn't about to recall the good times she'd spent at Hollywood Arts while she was second guessing everything she ever knew about Andre and even Robbie.

So right now, that girl needed someone from a place of good memories to remind her of that old optimism and kindness that she once had. Ian could be that person. If he couldn't help Tori be rid of the bitter cynicism that she developed over time, then nobody could.

* * *

So what do you think? She told Deborah what was what it seems. There's quite a bit that happened here, so do tell your thoughts


	26. Tori's Secret

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 26 (Tori's Secret)

Driving down the interstate, Trina studied Tori through the rearview mirror with a sly grin across her face. Tori was holding Michelle in her lap, watching the young child as she slept. "I love my niece, but why on earth did you 'insist' I come to her doctor's appointment?" Tori looked up and Trina's eyes darted back to the road.

Jason twisted around in the front passenger seat, smiling pleasantly. "We feel it will be a good experience for you and Michelle." Tori's right eyebrow slid beneath her bangs and she turned her head to the left, where Rebecca was seated.

Rebecca wanted to go as well to be with her mom during this time, but also because she wanted to meet the man Trina had been talking about-Michelle's pediatrician. "Especially for you," Rebecca chimed. Tori rolled her head to the right and leaned her head back slowly. The corners of her lips slid into her cheeks and her eyes darted to the back of Trina's head.

"What are you up to, Trina?"

"Why would you assume I'm up to anything, my dear sister?" Trina turned on the right turn signal and smirked as Tori hummed.

"Because this reeks of something I would have done when I was younger. Your tone also reeks of set-up." Tori's eyes narrowed. Trina chuckled at her sister and shook her head. "I've been teaching for several years, I know what it sounds like when someone is hiding something."

"I'm a lawyer, I could say the same. Except, I know how to get the truth out of them." Tori's only response came out a grunt. She looked back to her niece and hugged her closer.

When they arrived to the office waiting room, Trina watched her sister eyeball a sign nearby with a list of the doctor's names. The woman's arms were crossed and her expression was studious. "Why do I know that name somewhere?" Tori raised her finger to her chin, sliding gently over the indenture of her lower lip. "Ian Dennison M.D. It can't be…"

Trina approached her, mimicking her posture and smirking at her with half-lidded eyes. "Something catch your eye, sis?" Tori blinked twice and shook her head. A scowl spread across her face and her glare fell like daggers upon Trina.

"What are you doing, Trina?"

"Nothing." Trina grinned widely and raised her eyebrows. "This is Michelle's pediatrician." Tori's nostrils spread open and her hand lowered to her forearm where she started tapping it with her fingers.

"The one time you choose to be a dishonest lawyer is with me?" The door opened up and a nurse announced that the doctor was ready to see Michelle. The young girl bounced happily from the chair and ran for the nurse with a chipper laugh. "She seems to like coming to see the doctor."

"Dr. Dennison is a good doctor." Trina guided Tori along, following Michelle and the nurse into the examination room. Rebecca and Jason lagged behind a bit.

In the examination room, Trina lifted her daughter up and set her on the exam table. The girl kicked her legs out into the air and started glancing around the room.

It was just a general checkup, so there wasn't anything serious to worry about. Normally Jason would take their children for these general exams, but given recent events, Trina was more than happy to be there.

Tori waited in the back corner of the room, slightly obscured by the plant that was beside her. Trina stood beside Michelle, grooming her child's hair and clothes. Jason and Rebecca took their seats in two of the three chairs.

Ian entered the room within minutes, quick as he always was with his patients. He stood tall and his right hand gripped a clipboard at his side. His shaggy brown hair covered his eyebrows.

Trina noticed a moustache that had grown on his lip, along with some stubble on his jaw and chin. She thought the look flattered him a bit more as he was fairly clean shaven the last time they had an appointment.

"Well, well what have we here." Ian smiled at Michelle and shook his head. "At the Doctor's place once again? Were you throwing sticks at a bee's nest again?" Michele laughed and shook her head.

"No! This is a normal visit like Momma says." Trina heard someone emit a startled gasp and looked towards her sister. Tori's hand was over her heart.

Ian crouched and raised his hand to his chin. "Ah, so I see. Well, I am so glad it's nothing too serious." Tori's eyes began to glaze over. The hospital room lights reflected in the mist in her eyes. "Are you in good health?"

Michele kicked her feet in the air, laughing wildly. "That's why we're here. You need to figure that out." Ian pulled his hand to his chest, gasping in shock.

"Really? You mean you can't tell me?"

Tori's mouth curled into a smile and she closed her eyes, then bowed and shook her head. "Nope. You gots to find out." Jason and Rebecca were watching her as well, both appeared curious to the strong reaction Tori appeared to have.

Ian was great with children, and Trina always admired his capability to make her kids smile.

"Well okay." He hummed contemplatively and clicked his tongue. "Well Miss Michele, you look to be in good health and I see no reports otherwise." He pulled his clipboard up and squinted while moving his eyes along the page. "No strenuous activity recently or moments of stress?"

"Nothing like that," Trina answered, "Things have been a little off from normal but Michelle doesn't appear to have been affected." Ian leaned back and glanced at her with a look of disbelief.

"Nothing goes on in a home without children being affected. You know that."

"True."

"Reading the report, you do indicate feeling her heart beating faster than usual at one point. What has been going on at home?"

"Michelle may be getting a bit excited lately because Jason and I have both recently begun reconnecting with relatives." Ian reclined his head and his lips parted. For a split second a glimmer of hope shone in his eyes. He cleared his throat and turned towards Michelle.

"I see. Well, new family will do that." He looked into the child's eyes and smiled. "Have you been getting worked up, little lady?" Michelle grinned and shook her head while continuing to kick her legs in the air. "I see. Well, I'm going to go ahead and check pulse." He reached for the stethoscope on his shoulders. Michelle's eyes widened and her lips slid into a circle.

"Ooh, I like that thing. It feels funny."

"I'm going to need you to relax, okay?" Michelle nodded as he attached the stethoscope and placed the end to her back. "Breathe normally." The child did so, and breathed deep when he asked her to.

When he was done, he returned the stethoscope to his shoulders and started writing on his clipboard. "No irregularities in the heartbeat." Ian looked to Trina, scratching his chin while studying her up and down. "What about you? I understand you're going through a stressful time as well."

"I am, but I'm managing to not let that affect Michelle." It was no secret that Michelle often picked up on the emotions that her family was going through. If Shawn was excited, Michelle would get excited and run around with him. If someone was upset, she would get upset too.

"Is there anything we could do for you, Trina?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. Rachel's been through a scare herself, but you know how protective she is of Michelle and Shawn. She has talked to me about how she's been feeling, but is doing her best to keep normal around them."

"It wouldn't be bad to let them see what is going on, just try to ensure they-or Michelle rather-understand that everything is okay and there is no reason for them to get worked up."

Ian looked down to his clipboard, humming as he turned around almost facing in the direction of Tori. "Now, let's just run through a couple more routine things and I'll send you all on your-" His eyes moved up and connected with Tori's. In that instant, he fell silent and looked as though he'd seen a phantom.

The clipboard fell from his hand, but he didn't react when the sound of it striking the floor echoed throughout the room. "Victoria?" Her name rolled like a breath of air from his tongue, so soft that Trina thought he had only exhaled. His chest expanded and his shoulders rose.

Tori took a step closer, her hand was gripping the collar of her shirt as tight as possible and the tears on her cheeks glistened in the light. "Ian…" She expected some reaction, but she was just as surprised as Jason and Rebecca looked to be in that her sister's reaction was this strong. Ian's as well.

"I-" Ian's trembling hands closed and water lined the brim of his lower eyelids. "Tori…what are you doing here?"

"My sister and my daughter insisted I come."

"Daughter?" Ian looked at Rebecca and held his breath. "You're married now, then?" Trina raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jason with some uncertainty. He shrugged and Rebecca rolled her head to the right.

"No. I was engaged nearly twenty years ago." Tori lowered her hand and closed her eyes. "Oh god."

"What-What happened then?"

"He was killed and a social worker took my kid away." Tori cupped her hand over her mouth and began to shake. Trina stepped back to stand beside her husband while watching nervously how her sister and Ian reacted to each other. Part of her wondered if maybe there was something to the pair that she hadn't caught. "I never married, never had another kid. I just-I couldn't lose another one."

"No. I know. I'm sorry."

Trina's heart stopped on a dime and her hands flew over her mouth as a sudden note of realization came over her. There was something deeper between the two, though she didn't know what it was, she was sensing it greatly now.

"I'm a teacher now, Ian. Choir. What about you? Is there anyone?"

"I…no…" He closed his eyes and Tori raised her hand to his right arm, curling it around it.

"Why? Didn't you ever try?"

"Wasn't the same."

Tori smiled sadly. "Funny isn't it…how both of us work with children."

He cleared his throat and grabbed the clipboard from the floor. "I'm sorry. I really wasn't expecting to see you." Tori folded her arms over her stomach and looked at Trina. "I think maybe we owe an explanation."

"What do you mean?"

"My sister doesn't know. No one does." Ian raised his eyes to the ceiling and his entire body looked to crash as a sigh erupted from his lips. Tori wiped her eyes away and turned to Trina. Her lips were pressed tight against each other and her eyes were trembling. "Not here. Finish the check up."

Tori left the room and Ian watched with a lingering gaze. The energy in the room dissipated if only for a moment, and everyone held their breaths while Ian returned to Michelle. Rebecca left without a word, likely to check on her mother.

Trina wanted an explanation for what just happened and she wanted it now, but her better instincts bade her to bite her tongue.

She and Jason met with Tori at their house since Tori and Rebecca hailed a cab back. Ian was there as well, much to their surprise. They stopped for lunch, which likely bought him some time to get there.

"The truth," Tori said while guiding Trina and Jason to the couch. Rebecca was already there, her eyes were searching the floor and her brow was tightened as though she were contemplating something. "Or maybe something we should have talked about a long time ago."

Ian leaned against the wall and his soft gaze lingered onto Tori. Tori glanced back at him, smiling sadly as she ran her fingers across her cheeks once more. "As I explained to Rebecca…" She cleared her throat and turned back to them. "I was in love with Bradley, but he was not my first. I was prepared for him to be my last."

Trina darted her gaze over to Ian and opened her mouth in surprise. "You and Ian?" She shook her head in disbelief, stammering for several seconds. "I don't understand. When?"

"Before I went to Hollywood Arts." Tori ran her hand over her neck and closed her eyes. "I was fourteen, he was fifteen, and we were sexually active." She flinched and felt a spurt of anger shoot through her. Her glare traveled back to Ian, who tensed on the spot. "I was so young I didn't want to tell mom, dad or you. We knew none of you would approve."

"You're right, we wouldn't have."

"That's not everything." Tori's fingers tapped together and she looked wistfully at Ian. "I got pregnant."

"You _what?"_ She raised her voice and jumped to her feet, ready to lunge for Ian and demand further explanations. Tori's eyes widened and Jason took Trina's hand to keep her calm.

The only problem with this was that she didn't remember anything different about Tori back then. She thought back, questioning everything, and then it hit her: The change in Tori when she went to Hollywood Arts. Tori was never the same person after she went to Hollywood Arts. The once chipper girl that seemed so inseparable from Trina and the rest of her family had become closer to her friends and would constantly belittle them to her friends while avoiding the family.

"I always thought it was Hollywood Arts that changed you." She relaxed her body and pulled her hand from Jason's. "That it was those friends of yours that you became dependent on."

"They helped me in ways they never really knew." Tori scratched the back of her neck and paced to the right. "When I kissed Beck-initially to spite Jade, I also did it because I was trying to forget Ian. I suppose actually, it had more to do with Ian than it did Jade." Ian looked hurt for a second and Tori flinched when she saw the look in his eyes. "I was angry, I was still hurting from the fight we had."

"I'm sorry," Ian replied, "I've had almost thirty years to think about that, and you know I regret it. I never meant to hurt you. If I could take back the things I said to you back then, I-" Tori raised her hand to silence him. She choked on her words and shook her head.

"I know. It wasn't you, it was me. It was the stress, the pain, anger…I became an angry person then. I said things to you I shouldn't have said, you only reacted to what I said."

"Okay." Trina crossed her arms and her face tensed. "What exactly happened here?"

"I should have said something a long time ago." Tori exhaled and looked to her family with a sore expression. "A lot of anger I took out on you. The complaining to my friends and everything was just the only way I knew how to let go of all that stress I had. Maybe if I stayed with Ian, if I stayed at Sherwood-but there's no going back. I don't regret anything now." Tori smiled at Rebecca, who smiled back at her.

Tori put her hands to her stomach and bowed her head. "Within a few months of that pregnancy, I had been doing a good job hiding it from all of you, but I was scared, and I think keeping it a secret only added to the stress…" Tori's voice trembled as she raised her head and let out a sharp gasp.

"I-I miscarried." Trina's knees buckled and she felt like the wind knocked them out from beneath her. She sat back on the cushion, pulling her hands over her mouth. "One day I started bleeding, and it just wouldn't stop. I didn't know what to do."

Ian lowered his hands to the cabinet behind him, gripping the edges so tight his knuckles turned white. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "I rushed her to the doctor. It really was the first time she even went to a doctor for it…there are so many things a doctor would do for her that she probably never knew. We were both upset and I always thought she should have gone to the doctor. I even said she needed to tell all of you, she didn't agree."

"I didn't want to. I was still scared-of what I don't know. I figured the way Dad was, he wouldn't give a shit, and neither would Mom. I knew you were protective of me, so I was afraid you might actually attack Ian in one way or another."

Trina felt her tears running down her face, and she let them flow without any issue. It was easy for her to say she would have understood, but back then, she might have reacted just how Tori was afraid of her reacting.

It was clear to her why Ian and Tori separated, so there was no sense in asking about the end of their relationship. It was also likely that their fighting was what led Tori to leave Sherwood so suddenly after that performance on the stage.

Rebecca stood up and walked towards her mother. Tears streaked her face as well and concern etched over her face as she hugged Tori. Tori hugged her back and set her chin on the top of Rebecca's head.

"Things are okay now," Tori whispered, "I don't have much reason left to be angry. Finding you, seeing my sister again…" Tori raised her head and took a long breath, holding it as she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything a long time ago, Trina."

"It's okay," Trina replied. She made her way over, hugging her sister as well. She understood what it was like to be so angry that you didn't know who to talk to or how to react. "It's okay now."

Ian ran his hand over the back of his neck, sighing as he moved forward. "Victoria-Tori-I…" The girls pulled apart and Tori looked at him with a sad smile. "I know now isn't the best time, I don't want you to get the wrong idea, but I would like to reconnect. If I could buy you a cup of coffee sometime?"

Rebecca nudged her mother and Tori wiped her eyes, chuckling softly. "I think I would like that, Ian."

Trina watched with pride as her sister exchanged a hug with Ian. It looked as though Tori was finally finding the closure she'd been searching for. Trina looked to her husband, breathed in and exhaled slowly.

It was amazing to her how strong her sister had become, that Tori would be able to open up in such a way. Even now, Tori still served as an inspiration to her.

There was one thing left for her and she would be able to have that same sense of closure in her life. No matter how much it terrified her, she knew it would be okay in the end.

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Well, there's a lot of truth coming out here. What are your thoughts? What's going through your mind?


	27. The Trial Begins

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is the trial, like any trial it involves the crime scene. It is highly recommended if you trigger easily that, you don't have to skip the entire trial because it is important but there are parts that you can skip, one of which is in this chapter. The testimony of Officer Jacob Perkins as he describes the crime scene as he found it, you may skip that.

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Chapter 27 (The Trial Begins)

The day of Andre's trial arrived with great publicity, almost every local and national news station was talking about his trial like they had nothing else to report on, and she hated it. Trina found herself struggling to ignore the reports and fought back the tears of every single fanatic he had that accused her of doing this for publicity sake.

Tori stood in front of her, holding onto her hands while looking into her eyes. "Remember that what they say doesn't matter." Tori squeezed her hands and smiled with reassurance. "All that matters is you get up on that stand, you tell the court everything. You know I'm going up there too."

They had to be in the witness box along with Rachel and Kevin. Mr. Tillman had plenty of witnesses that he was going to use, and as far as Trina knew, the defense didn't have many. "What do you think the defense is going to try and pull?" Asked a light skinned woman with short brown hair. Trina looked at the middle aged woman with a sad smile and shook her head.

"I'm not sure exactly. I think insanity, Taylor." Taylor closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath of air. "It's going to be okay. You have Kimberly to hold on to." The woman nodded as the light skinned child hugged her mother.

The television screen in front of them let them see what was going on in the courtroom. Judge Walker was positioned at his stand, looking over the brim of his glasses at the attorneys and the audience.

Seeing Andre at the defense table made her stomach curl, but she swallowed down the burn of anxiety in her throat and focused her attention on the people in the room. Beside Andre was a tall, bald headed man with a goatee and wire framed glasses. This was the defense attorney, Brendan Bailey.

In the opening statements, Brendan painted Andre not as a celebrity being attacked-a smart move considering the evidence stacked against him-but as a man with severe mental problems. These days, the insanity defense had become much harder to use and more of a pain to prove, so he had quite the fight against him.

Somehow Brendon would have to prove Andre didn't know what he was doing when he assaulted Trina, and then he had to prove Andre had no knowledge that what he was doing was wrong when he made his son attack Rachel.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tillman spoke to a grand jury of six men and six women, each of diverse races, giving a riveting picture of a cruel and virulent men who used control and manipulation to get what he wanted. He painted Andre as an angry individual that refused to take no for an answer and could not tolerate someone turning him away on any subject; a man who used power to get his way and sex as a weapon.

"I would argue that Mr. Harris did in fact know exactly what he was doing." Scott wagged his finger in the air while glaring sternly into the eyes of the jury. "I suggest to you ladies and gentlemen of the jury that we are dealing with a very dangerous, a very violent individual…"

The trial went with Scott introducing his first witness, which was the officer that arrived on the scene. Trina held her breath and sat down in her chair. Rachel and Tori sat on her sides and grabbed her hands. She closed her eyes and smiled as the started to squeeze them like the balloon of an air pump.

The elderly officer approached the bench after having been sworn in and took his seat. He had a white buzz cut and sharp eyes. "Officer Jacob Perkins, is it?" Scott stood at his desk and tugged a bit on his jacket.

"That is correct sir."

"Would you walk the court by the events of March 12, 2011?" The retired officer straightened his back and nodded once.

"Yes sir." Trina's eyes clenched shut and she began to shove away the images that were coming into her head. Now with Rachel in the witness box, she couldn't protect her daughter from hearing the full account of everything, and yet she was glad that both Rachel and Tori were there to support her.

"It was approximately 9:15 PM when I received a distress call to Hollywood Arts high school on 244 Bronx Street. The call was from a former student claiming she'd been lured there and sexually assaulted by a student." Scott ran his hand over his chin and slanted his eyes.

"Do you have any idea what a student would be doing at that school at that hour?"

"I believe there was a known teacher doing work at the school and he allowed the student into the school."

Brendon stood up. "Objection, your honor." Scott turned partially and Judge Walker peered out at Brendan. "To top off the potential hearsay of that statement, it has nothing to do with the case."

Officer Perkins frowned and looked up to the Judge. "I was personally informed by Mr. Erwin Sikowitz that he was working there that night and he allowed Mr. Harris into the school at his request."

"Objection overruled," Judge Walker replied. Brendon sighed and took his seat, stating he had no further comments. With that, Scott continued his questioning.

Trina leaned her head back and opened her mouth, blasting out a heavy breath of air. She had known that Mr. Sikowitz let Andre in, and she knew the police spoke with him, but he never knew the full extent of what happened. He knew the police were asking about Andre, and that was pretty much it.

"If you could for Court record, state the first the name of the student."

"That would be the defendant. Andre Harris."

"And what was the defendant doing there that night? Were you informed?"

"Erwin informed me that Andre was going to practice on the school piano that night. He allowed Mr. Harris into the building at approximately 7:30 that night." Officer Perkins grabbed the cup of water in front of him and took a sip. "When I arrived, we first noticed evidence of a struggle near the lockers of the west end of the building and near the bathroom door where the assault took place. We also noted approximately three cameras in that hallway, one of which was directly above the bathroom door."

"Explain to the court the state you found that area to be in."

The officer hooked his finger over his upper lip and squinted. "There was a row of lockers to the right of the bathroom door. The first locker had a large dent on the side facing the bathroom. We identified droplets of blood on the floor about two or three feet in front of the door."

"Whose blood did you find there?"

"We later identified the blood to belong to the victim. Katrina Vega." Officer Perkins lowered his hand and leaned back slowly. "There were also scratches made at the base of the door frame and a broken fingernail in that same vicinity. The nail was also identified as having belonged to the victim."

Trina ran her hand over a sore spot on her neck, groaning as she recalled Andre slamming her into the locker and putting the gun to her back. Her muscles tensed and a sting of pain struck her hands as she remembered him dragging her by the hair through the bathroom door.

She tried to grab the frame, to pull herself away and he yanked her back causing her to snap her fingernail off the door frame and then her hands struck the closing door.

The blood that was found on the ground had come from her mouth after she hit the locker and fell to the ground. Blood was also found on the frame and on the door, and throughout the bathroom. This was because she put her hand over her mouth when she fell and blood transferred there.

"Mom?" Rachel's whisper brought her back to reality and she looked at Rachel with a smile. "It's okay Mom."

"Thank you, sweetie."

Scott announced the first of the court's exhibits, which were photographs of the hallway outside the bathroom. He showed them first to Officer Perkins, who pointed out everything he spoke of. When done, Scott asked permission to show the jury the photographs while having Officer Perkins then walk the court through the status of the bathroom itself.

Trina cupped her mouth with her hand and shut her eyes tight, cringing as she fought back the sensation of tears trying to erupt.

"The first thing we noticed was the overwhelming stench of urine and feces." Officer Perkins took a drink of his water, swallowing down large gulps of liquid before continuing. "It was the men's restroom of course." He set the cup down and sighed. "There was a revolver that looked like it had been set down on the second sink from the door. A 9 millimeter Ruger Revolver, if my memory serves me correct."

Officer Perkins held his hand over his mouth and shut his eyes. Trina recalled the scene, she knew Andre set the gun down at some point but she didn't know when. He'd forgotten the weapon, which Trina believed belonged to his grandmother.

"The victim directed us to the stall directly in front of the door, which I believe was the second from the right wall. It had been kicked open with enough force to pull it loose from the top hinge." The man's shoulders rose and his eyes narrowed. "The toilet had been urinated in we believe prior to the assault. We found traces of water, mixed with urine, that had splashed out of the toilet. This water was also cast off throughout the bathroom, and the victim's hair at the time was still damp."

Beside her, Rachel made a gagging sound while Tori covered her mouth with her hand and let one sob fall into it.

"Did you collect traces of this water?"

"Yes sir. From the toilet, the floor, as well as the victim's hair."

"You collected the weapon as well, sir?"

"Yes. It was loaded with six bullets, none of which were fired." Officer Perkins cleared his throat and shut his eyes. "We found further traces of blood in the bathroom stall, on the toilet, on the floor and on the wall of the bathroom. Our forensics expert concluded that all traces belonged to that of the victim."

He raised his hand, pointing his finger down and circling the air. "Along the rim of the toilet we found traces of brown hair that belonged to the victim as well."

"Did you find anything else?"

"Yes. Traces of semen were found on the victim's clothing and on the floor in between the toilet and the bathroom door." Trina's throat tightened and she clenched her teeth. Within seconds, Tori was holding a bottle of water in front of her.

"You're okay Trina," Tori assured her. Trina opened her eyes and gingerly took the bottle in her hands. "We're here." Officer Perkins went on to explain the state of chaos they found the bathroom in, which involved her torn garments having been thrown to the other side of the bathroom.

The toilet had been chipped where she struck it in the struggle. Then there was the damaged state she was found in. By some miracle she called the police after Andre took off. She was bleeding from the mouth, her hands had been bruised severely, she was completely undressed and had multiple red and blue spots along her body from where he struck her or she hit something. Such as one of the bathroom mirrors that her shoulder struck when she tried to get away from him.

She also had bruised wrists from where he pinned her down against the tile floor at one point of the struggle.

Brendan cross-examined Officer Perkins, but didn't ask much as there was no disputing the crime scene. He did ask a question that stirred a bit of animosity in Trina's heart. "Do you suspect, Officer Perkins-and no disrespect meant to our victim-that it could be possible this was a form of role play? As it was stated that our defendant and the victim dated for about a week."

Officer Perkins looked appalled at first, but he remained stoic and shook his head. "With the amount of blood found at the scene, and the level of violence indicated, it appeared to us that it would be highly improbable for this to be a bit of role play."

"And you said you obtained footage from the hallway cameras that night?"

"Yes sir."

"About how clear was the image?"

"It was grainy, but the defendant was identified by camera number two-the one that was directly above the bathroom door. We identified him putting a gun to the victim's back and throwing her into the locker before grabbing her hair and dragging her into the bathroom."

"I see." Brendan nodded and looked at the Judge. "I pass the witness, your honor."

The next witness that Scott called made Trina's heart stop. She heard Tori gasp and watched the screen as her own mother approached the bench. Holly was sworn in and she took her seat, glaring at Andre with venom burning in her eyes.

"State your name for the court, please," Scott stated. Without missing a beat or removing her eyes from Andre, Holly leaned back slowly.

"Holly Malone, formerly Holly Vega."

"You knew the victim."

"I was her mother, and I assisted in the collection of the rape kit that was performed by Dr. Amy Grant."

"You were a registered nurse working on staff at the time, correct?"

"Yes. I was at work when my daughter was brought in by the police." It was Holly who insisted Trina press charges, and Trina did despite her fears from Andre's threat on her life. The entire reason that Holly began to distance herself and eventually vanished altogether was because she was angry when Trina decided not to take Andre to trial.

"Will you be able to provide an accurate account regardless of influence relating to your connection of the victim."

"Yes sir." Holly wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. "You'll forgive me, I lost my daughter because of this man and my own anger, but I will gladly put those to the side for the trial."

"Thank you." Trina brought her hands over her mouth and hunched forward, sobbing into them. Tori rubbed circles into Trina's back while Rachel tried to hold onto Trina's hand.

Holly straightened her back and sneered at Andre. "We collected seminal fluid from the vaginal and anal vaults. We swabbed the victim's cheeks where we found traces as well…"

Holly went on to describe the bruising and the cuts found along Trina's body, recollecting each detail with tears in her eyes. The jury looked moved by the way Holly wept over the nightmare she would have experienced that night-having to perform this task on her own daughter.

Trina was proud of her mother for coming to testify, and she was also proud of the technique that Scott was clearly using.

What came next was the forensic serologist from back then and the current one. It was concluded via numerous tests that Andre was the sole contributor of the seminal fluid and of the urine found in and around the toilet.

This was indicative of premeditation, as there was little chance of Andre urinating in the toilet during the time he dragged her to it. Since the trace was found in the water that had splashed out, he couldn't have done so after the crime had taken place.

The jury and the judge were also given a copy of text messages taken from Trina's phone that day and a call log to Mr. Sikowitz's office. It was shown that at 5:00, Mr. Sikowitz received a call from Andre Harris, then at 5:30 a text message was sent to Trina's phone from Andre's that told her he was 'okay' with her dumping him and that he spotted Jason at the school with Mr. Sikowitz, then informed her to meet him there at 7:30 and he'd take her to Jason.

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Judging by what you have heard, and the time stamps indicated, would you suspect there was planning involved or was this done in a heat of anger type deal? What are your thoughts on the defense that is going to be used, the insanity defense?


	28. First Witnesses

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 28 (First Witnesses)

After going through the chain of control regarding all the evidence, Scott was ready with the next witness. Mr. Sikowitz himself. Sikowitz shook his head slowly at Andre and looked over to Scott.

"Just to clarify, the defendant was one of your students, was he not?"

"He was."

"You were a drama teacher?"

"Yes." Sikowitz leaned back slowly and pushed his hands along his legs while listening to the lawyer's questions. "I did receive a call from Andre. I recall the time as I always ate dinner in my office around five o'clock while grading papers."

"So it was around five that the defendant called your office." Scott put his hands at his hips and squinted his eyes. "What did he want?" Sikowitz exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.

"He wanted use of the theater room where the piano was located so he could practice. Andre told me his grandmother was yelling about burnt food and he wanted to practice where it was quiet."

"Did he make any comments about maybe when he would like to be there?"

"Yes sir. He said multiple times '7:30', he was going to get down there around 7:30 to practice. I unlocked the door and let him in at that time, then returned to my office upstairs." Scott tapped his chin with his pen and started to hum.

"So let me get this straight, you were the only other person in the building at that time, and you left your student alone on the first floor?"

"I had no reason to suspect he would do anything-certainly nothing of this caliber." Sikowitz shrugged and scratched at his beard. "I trusted most of my students, so I had no reason to believe he would do anything to the school property. I've let some of my better students have that privilege of not being supervised constantly. Mind you, I would go down and check on them often, whether they realized it or not."

"So did you go down and check on Mr. Harris?"

"I did." Sikowitz crossed his arms and pressed his lips firmly together. "At eight o'clock, I went down to the auditorium and he was not there. I assumed he went home."

"How did you not hear a struggle?"

"Easily." He leaned to the right and extended his right hand out a bit. "The west wing of the school is, of course, on the west side…the bathroom was all the way at the end of the hallway." He raised his left hand up and extended it out all the way to the left. "The theater box is in the east wing." He cupped his hand downwards and raised it up. "Right below my office."

He dropped his hands. "It would be more likely that I would hear music below than I would hear anything in the west end of the building. Even on a silent night, that wing is at least an entire block away. You must understand the size of the building, we had a very large track field behind the building, the length of the building extended past the length of that field."

"Okay. Did you hear any music between the time you let Andre Harris into the building that night and the time that you went to check on him?" Scott looked to his notes, tapping the paper with his pen. "I believe you said this was between 7:30 and 8:00 where you thought he must have gone home."

"I heard no music."

"Did you allow him to bring anyone in the building, or did you realize that the victim was being let in?"

"I did not. He informed me that he was going to be by himself. I did not let Katrina into the building, nor did I know that she was there." Sikowitz bowed his head, his voice wavered for a moment and the air around him looked to intensify as his tone dropped. "Had I known he was going to let her in, I would have been there. I should have…I certainly…"

Trina wanted to reach out and tell him he wasn't at fault. She never blamed him for anything, and he certainly couldn't have known what would happen. Hell, she knew the only reason Andre led her to the west wing was because Sikowitz _would_ have heard something had they been on the east. She knew the teacher would have tried to intervene, and that's what mattered most to her. It meant more that she knew he would have tried to do something to stop Andre than the fact that he let the man in.

Scott waited a moment for Sikowitz to wipe the tears from his eyes. He spoke softly and turned his eyes down partially. "Is it true then that this Jason is in fact your sister's son, Jason Tyler?"

"Yes. Yes sir."

"What role does he have in all of this? Do you know?"

"He is Katrina's husband. At the time, they met and dated seriously at a camp in 2009. They separated after the camp and had no way of finding each other when my sister wound up leaving to another area of the globe with Jason. They returned to California in 2011."

"Did he know the defendant?"

"Not to my recollection, no. I do know, however, that he spoke fondly of Trina. He thought she'd moved on from him, had I known she was looking for him…had I known Andre would use my nephew to lure her…"

"It must cause you a great deal of pain. Anger."

Sikowitz huffed up. Veins began to bulge from his neck and forehead as he glared in Andre's direction. "Andre Harris was one of my better students. I had a great deal of respect for him at the time. When that bathroom became a crime scene and police started questioning me about him, I didn't know what he'd done and I didn't think he could have done anything despite his being the only other person there…"

"When did you learn the true nature of what happened to Katrina?" There was a difference between when Sikowitz found out and when he was actually told, and she knew that. The man was always observant, so though she never actually told him, he had to have known close to the beginning.

"It didn't take long to put two and two together. Between Trina's injuries and my nephew's reactions to her telling him, I knew it couldn't have been anyone else. Andre had done something to her…"

"How did your nephew react?"

"Jason has a very quiet anger, but when he's upset about something, he will either go to the gym and stay longer or hit the punching bag we had with a greater intensity than he normally does. When he reconnected with Trina, there was a time when he would be at the gym all day and sometimes he'd be in the basement with the punching bag for hours at a time."

"That's how you knew there was something wrong?"

"Yes sir." Sikowitz flared his nostrils and studied Andre closely. Andre was leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. He had a slick look on his face and for some reason appeared to be immensely confident. "I sat Jason down to talk when he and Katrina began dating again and he told me that she dated Andre for about a week before dumping him-that she still had feelings for him and didn't want to 'lead Andre on'."

"I understand. Did you have any interaction with Katrina after her attack?"

"I did not. I did, however, see her pick her sister up at school a few times. Each time, she would not drive into the parking lot and she would not look at the building, making her sister walk across the street to get to her."

"Did that alert you to anything?"

"I thought maybe something had happened, but I didn't know what. As you can imagine, I didn't look too much into it." Scott hummed for a few moments and his eyes moved towards the defense table.

"Tell me, Erwin. Did Andre ever strike you as unstable? Did he have moments in class where he would fly off the handle?"

"Not from what I observed, no." Trina smirked with pride when she saw Andre sink a bit in his chair. Sikowitz straightened his back and folded his hands neatly on the stand. "Like one of my other students, Beck Oliver, Andre was one of the more rational students in my class. At least, he always appeared to have a sensible head on his shoulder. Never the paranoid type like his grandmother was. I think that his grandmother was so paranoid was what kept him sane, he had to be sane."

"Sane. Have you ever seen him become angry?"

"A few times he would get upset, yes." Sikowitz breathed in as Andre started to scowl. "I remember him yelling at another student, Robert Shapiro, for not adjusting the stage lighting the way he wanted it. Then there were the girls he would date…"

"He dated frequently?"

"Oh yes, he had a new girl nearly every other week. I would see him dump them when he was tired of them or they did something that irritated him."

"Now, did you ever see him get into a fight with anyone before?"

"Once or twice, I would have to intervene because he didn't like the way someone talked to him or looked at him. It wasn't often though, I wouldn't say there's any indication of psychosis or anything, but I'm no medical expert."

This was a brilliant display-Scott was trying to blow Andre's defense out of the water before the defense attorney had a chance to bring out his witnesses.

At the very least, this would get the jury to think and at least consider that Andre wasn't clinically insane at the time.

Scott passed the witness and everyone listened as Brendon asked him a few questions regarding his inability to hear anything at the school and whether or not Jason may have been angry over Trina dating someone else. Sikowitz of course said the couple hadn't been together at that point, so there was no reason for Jason to be upset over it when she told him what happened.

The next witness called up was the current chief investigator of the case, also the responding officer for the next crime of which Andre was charged of being involved in. "State your name for the court, please."

"Officer Samantha Benson." Sam raised her right hand and Judge Walker swore her into the court.

"You actually knew the victim at the time of the sexual assault, didn't you?" Sam squinted and shook her head.

"Not directly, no. My friend Carly came to California with my husband and myself and we met Trina's sister. We didn't personally interact with Katrina much at all that day." She snapped her fingers and raised her eyebrows up. "I was also roommates with Catherine Valentine once, she was good friends with both the defendant and Tori at the time."

"Ah, I see." Scott ran his fingers along the surface of his desk and furrowed his brow. "You're the chief investigator of the crime in question, but you are also the investigator of a second crime of which the defendant has been charged with solicitation, are you not?"

"I am." They wouldn't cover the second crime much since it was technically over. There was the solicitation charge, and Dean was to testify relating to that. Rachel was also testifying regarding that issue, but that was about as much that would happen. "Andre Harris is charged with soliciting his son to attack Rachel Tyler, the daughter of Katrina Vega."

There were a few gasps from either the jury box or the audience, though Trina couldn't see where. She knew that was going to be a bit of a shock factor for people; they would want to know why exactly Andre sent his son after her daughter.

"In regards to the rape allegation, you have had no trouble with the evidence?"

"Both Holly Vega and David Vega ordered every bit of evidence to be stored should the investigation be reopened." David found out during the fight between Andre and Trina, as pointed out, so it came to no surprise that he had the chief investigator store the evidence away when she decided to call off the charges. "After twenty-six years, we were able to conserve the majority of DNA samples, photographic and video evidence."

"And you were able to confirm after 26 years that Andre was, in fact, a contributor of the DNA samples discovered at the scene?"

"The evidence shows with 99 percent accuracy as of the latest test that Andre Harris not only contributed, but he was at the scene of the crime when it occurred." Sam rolled her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. "Technology has also advanced to we are able to determine the time someone has gone to the restroom. The urine samples were produced at around 7:30 that evening."

"Would you please tell the court…" Scott closed his eyes and raised his hand up. "When you arrested the defendant, what was he doing?" Sam adjusted herself in the chair and pulled her hair back over her shoulders.

"Andre Harris was arrested in the Central City Parking Garage with a 9 millimeter Ruger Revolver. He was seen holding Katrina Tyler at gunpoint from behind." Sam reached up, pointing to her ear. "I personally heard him threaten her life, and then make suggestive statements."

"Suggestive?"

"He was threatening to sexually assault her before killing her unless she would return to Judge Walker and demand his son be granted bail." Sam looked at Judge Walker, then back to Scott. "This happened after the bond hearing for his son."

"And you said he had a 9 millimeter Ruger Revolver?"

"Yes sir. It was the same type of gun that we have kept in storage from the crime scene at Hollywood Arts. We have that weapon in evidence now."

"Now according to you, you heard him make a sexual threat to the victim. What is your recollection of what he said?"

Sam's eyes lifted up and to the right as she recalled the statement. "I remember everything he said before I was able to read him his rights. Before we subdued him he said 'this reminds me of last time'."

"Last time?"

"I took that to refer to the assault." She swept her hair over her ear and cleared her throat. "As I was preparing to read the charges he continued to threaten Trina, stating 'I'll find you. If my son's case isn't dismissed, I will find you.'" She narrowed her eyes. "Then as I read the aggravated sexual assault charge, without knowing that Katrina was the victim of our case, he proceeded to call out to her."

"And what was said?"

She looked to the right with a sigh and closed her eyes. "He said: 'You callow, sly, sneaky bitch. Don't tell me you're getting me on sexual assault.'"

"So you're saying, he knew before the full charge was read to him that you were referring to our victim?"

"That is correct. He then proceeded to announce that, 'that was thirty years ago. You can't possibly have evidence'." Sam crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders. "I promptly read him his rights and led him to the car."

"Thank you." Brandon asked her a few questions, but nothing that would suggest her answers or actions were related to any potential bias. To be honest, Trina felt like the defense didn't have a prayer.

There was a recess called. For many celebrities or people with plenty of money, they could buy time and trials would last forever, but Judge Walker wasn't biting. The court, however, would resume within the day.

Trina met with Mr. Sikowitz outside the courthouse and almost immediately threw her arms around him. She understood the man's stress. "Thank you for your testimony," she whispered to him, "I want you to know that I have never held any blame or anger towards you."

Sikowitz smiled and hugged her back. "I know. Thank you, dear." Someone cleared their throat and Trina stepped away from Sikowitz. She turned around and froze when she spotted her mother.

"M-Mom?"

Holly put her hands to her hips and smiled sadly as Tori, Rachel, Jason and even Mr. Sikowitz cast wary gazes on her. "I wanted you to know I'm proud of you." Trina furrowed her brow as Holly moved towards her. "I know what I said before, I know things between us…things can't easily be repaired…and yes I am sorry."

Trina looked to the side and crossed her arms. "You said up there…the reason you became distant or 'lost your daughter' was because of Andre."

"And myself." She dropped her arms and Holly bowed her head. "I was angry because you didn't want to put that asshole away." Trina closed her eyes and Holly breathed in sharply. "That man hurt my baby, and you were going to let him walk."

"Because he threatened me, momma."

"I know, and now, I don't blame you for that." Holly's shoulders fell and her lips twisted into a small smile. "I'm glad you're putting him away though. Honestly, I am."

It meant a great deal to have her mother's support, even though her mother basically disowned her. "I'm glad you actually decided to testify." Holly smirked playfully and swept her hand through her silver hair.

"Well it wasn't like Amy is around to testify right now, and I was the one doing most of the work." Holly's smirk faded and the woman stepped forward, taking Trina by surprise by hugging her close. "You've become so strong, and even if we never speak again…I am proud of you."

She reclined her head and started to speak. Holly pulled away and wiped her eyes, gazing at Trina as the silence surrounded them. "Goodbye honey." Trina furrowed her brow as a knot grew in her throat. "I know where I went wrong, I know I'm not the healthiest person to have around your family-"

"Mom-"

"No. Sweetie, I can't. I can't pretend that things will get better between the two of us." Her heart sank as Holly took a small step back. Holly bowed her head and closed her eyes. "The least I can do is give my testimony and pray…pray you will be a better mother than I could ever be…A stronger woman, a better person, a better wife. Someone that would never hurt the man you love. Goodbye Trina."

Trina gasped out as Holly turned and started to walk away. Tears fell from the corners of her eyes as Tori and Rachel hugged her. "Are you okay?" Tori asked. She wiped her eyes and looked back to the courthouse, clearing her throat.

"I-I think I'll be okay. I just…I need time…"

* * *

Well there's the first batch of witnesses, what are your thoughts as you go through them? What do you think of Holly's farewell?


	29. Character Witnesses

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 29 (Character Witnesses)

When they returned for the next part of the trial, her daughter was expectantly tense. Rachel was going to be next and Trina was worried for her because she seemed to be terrified.

"I'm almost next," Rachel whispered, "I have to go out there." Rachel was visibly upset, and Trina had a sense Brendon may try to suggest that Rachel provoked Andre by confronting him. "Momma, what do I do?"

"Just be clear, honest, and answer every question the best you can." Trina kissed the girl on the top of the head and flashed a smile. "It will be okay, baby."

When the attorneys were finished with Sam for the moment, they called Rachel to the stand. Rachel whimpered and Trina gave her a hug, hoping to reassure and comfort her once more.

"Let's start out honestly," Scott said once Rachel was sworn in and ready to talk. "You did go to Andre's home two nights prior to Dean Harris's attack on you and your friends. Is this correct?" A look of shame came over Rachel's face and she bowed her head.

"Yes sir, I did. I didn't know the true nature of what happened to my mom." She took a deep breath and raised her head, looking directly at Scott and keeping her gaze away from Andre. "If I knew, I might not have gone, but that's regardless of fact. I went and confronted him for being mean to my mom. I've always been protective of my family, and I can be impulsive."

A unique tactic, once more Trina was impressed. By having Rachel explain this now, he was attempting to deflate the cross-examination by Brandon when Brandon would certainly try to paint her as provoking Andre and attempting to blame her for what transpired.

Not to mention that Dean allowed her in, Brandon wouldn't be able to suspect that she trespassed. Rachel committed no crime and even withdrew.

"How were you let in?"

"There was a party. I met Dean outside and asked him if I could visit his dad. Dean said okay and let us into the mansion."

"So you were there because a resident let you in?"

"Yes sir."

"What transpired between you and Andre?"

Rachel began trembling, tears came from her eyelids and she raised her hand up to her face, holding the base of her palm against her eye. "He said my momma deserved it. He called her an attention whore. I got mad, I went downstairs and told all his guests what Andre did and said."

"He was pretty angry after that, wasn't he, Rachel?"

"He was threatening me, saying I'd regret it." She took a deep breath, straightened her head with her torso. The inner portion of her neck sank inwards and her chest heaved. "A couple nights later, Dean in and attacked us. Myself, my cousins and my boyfriend. It looked like he was going to attack me sexually too, but Ryan stopped him."

"Ryan? Tell the court who Ryan is?"

"That would be my boyfriend."

Brandon stood up and Trina started to tense. "If I may have a word with the witness, your honor?" Scott turned his head and Rachel's eyes started to widen. "Let me get this straight, Miss Tyler. You were let into my client's home, you provoked my client."

"Y-Yes sir. We left with him shouting at as. Dean attacked me two days later." Considering Dean's plea, he was already convicted, so there was no question regarding to that. "This was after confronting him about my mom."

"Did Dean give you any inclination whatsoever that he was acting on his father's orders?" Rachel clamped her mouth shut for several seconds, whimpering softly as Brandon smirked and leaned forwards. "Miss Tyler? Did Dean tell you that he was acting under his father's orders."

"He didn't tell _me_ , no. I think he told my mom, though."

"But he didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Okay." Brandon looked at the judge with a smile. "No further questions your honor."

Scott asked a few more questions before passing the witness. Rachel came running back into the witness room and Trina threw her arms around the weeping teenager. "I messed up, didn't I, Mom?"

"No baby, you did just fine." Rachel did better than Trina expected she would do, but even if she hadn't, it wouldn't matter. Trina never wanted her children to have to sit through a courtroom trial. "All I could think about was getting you back to me. I'm glad they're done with you."

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too honey."

Dean was called in next. Trina watched Andre's reaction as the boy walked into the courtroom. Andre's eyes went wide and his muscles looked to tense. Dean avoided contact with his father's gaze and looked directly at Scott. Dean was in prison uniform and had handcuffs around his wrists with a chain going down to the cuffs around his ankles.

He had a pitiful look as he shambled in, hunched over and looking like a beaten mule. The jury members frowned, their eyebrows curled up in the middle and some moved their hands over their mouths.

"Dean Harris," he stated his name as per Scott's request and then took his seat. "I'm charged with assault with a deadly weapon and breaking and entering. I took a plea deal and am sentenced to fifteen years with the possibility of parole."

Dean's eyes glazed over and he turned his head away as Andre tried to lean forward and glare sternly at his son.

"Why are you here today?" Scott inquired.

"To testify against my father." Dean and Scott went through the history of abuse and manipulation, the lies and deceit that led up to the moment his father ordered him to attack Rachel. "He-He told me that I should try to assault her sexually, that it would send her and her mother 'a message' not to mess with him again."

"And you were charged with attempted assault?"

"I wouldn't have gone through with it." Dean pulled his hands up to his face, wiping his tears away with his fingers. "Even as I was there, I couldn't stop feeling like it was crossing a line. I didn't want to hurt Rachel that way, I-I couldn't do that. Dad would kill me if I didn't go through with it, that's why I didn't run. He told me if the cops come, run and he would deal with it…but I didn't run…"

"You were afraid of your father?"

"Afraid for my life! He's always been that way, abusive and belittling. If we didn't do what he wanted or we didn't do something the right way, we were beat. Dad's very much 'my way or the highway'."

Brandon questioned him as well, trying to suggest that it was Dean's idea to attack Rachel all along. Dean continued to portray his image of the beaten son who, under duress, went along with his father's plan.

Even the driver of the car that was there when Dean was captured testified to Dean looking like a terrified mess. The jury appeared to hang onto each and every word that came out of Dean's mouth, so Brandon released him without further question.

The next witness, and perhaps the most powerful aside from Trina, was Andre's ex-wife, Taylor. The minute she walked into the courtroom with a powerful stride and her head held high, Andre froze and turned a shade of ash that Trina had never seen in the man. It was as though he'd just been knifed in the gut.

"My name is Taylor Hathaway-formerly Harris." Taylor pulled her hair back, tilting her head slightly as she did so. Her thin lips pressed together and she turned her head forward, glaring out at Andre. "I was unhappily married to Andre Harris for several years. Our son was the product of sexual assault."

Brandon bowed his head and Andre slammed his clenched fists onto the desk. Scott hummed contemplatively and ran his hand across his chin. "What do you mean?"

Taylor closed her eyes and sucked the air through clenched teeth. "When we were dating, he wanted to have sex, but I didn't want to have sex until we were at least engaged or married. I kept telling him no, he kept getting angry, and then one day he spiked my drink." Taylor opened her eyes and pointed out at Andre. "The next morning I woke up naked at his side."

"You didn't leave him after that?"

"No, because he told me if I left him, he would kill me." Taylor sneered with disgust and crossed her arms. "When I found out I was pregnant, he told me we would be getting married and that if I refused, he'd assault me again." Tears ran down Taylor's cheeks and saliva spurt from her trembling lips and wavering voice. "He kept me from my mom, from my sister, told me I couldn't tell them what he did to me or he'd kill me. I was living in fear of this man…"

"You finally divorced him, didn't you?"

Taylor exhaled and pushed her hands along her legs. She cupped her hands around her knees and opened her eyes partially. "Yes. My little sister helped me make my escape, giving me the courage to leave him, but he wasn't done yet. Before I could get my son and daughter, he convinced the judge that _I_ was the unfit parent. He was a wealthy celebrity by this time, so he just had to flash a little money and the judge bought every word he said."

Trina heard Judge Walker huff and smirked when she saw Andre raise his hand to his forehead. Scott took a sip of his cup of water and set it down carefully. "So you're saying…he bought custody of your children?"

"Yes. He made baseless claims against me, saying I was a drug addict and calling me abusive. He said I couldn't hold a job, he said I didn't bring money in and I wouldn't be able to care for my children."

"What was it like being married to him for-how long?"

"Almost ten years. Every day was like walking on eggshells." Taylor ran her hand over the back of her neck and shook her head. "If I didn't say something he agreed with, he'd strike me. If I disagreed, he'd strike me. If I didn't do what I said, he'd hit me." She brought a tissue to her eyes, weeping for several seconds. "Throughout those ten years there were at least five or six times when he…he would…If I turned down sex, he would force it."

Taylor leaned her head back, tensing up and pursing her lips. "Then there was that one time." Scott raised his eyebrow and Andre buried his face into his hands. "The thing that I told my sister and she was able to help me escape…Andre told me he'd assaulted someone else and got away with it, that if I were to ever tell anybody, they would never believe me…he was immune…he said the woman he attacked had been so terrified of his power that she didn't press charges."

"Did he tell you who this woman was?"

"No, but I was so afraid of him at that point…I told my sister and she managed to get me away from him."

"That must have been excruciating for you."

Taylor gasped suddenly, screaming aloud. "And now my son is in prison because of his influence. I almost lost my daughter."

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"That's a separate matter. That was dealt with in civil court." She wiped her eyes. Trina's heart went out to the woman and she remembered the issue with Deborah Bates. Fortunately Tori was awarded a hefty amount in that suit. "If it wasn't for the lawsuit that another woman took out on the social worker, I would have had my daughter torn from me without any proper investigation."

"I see. That doesn't relate to this case, then."

"No sir."

"Okay…"

Brandon questioned the woman next, asking her if the times she was assaulted were perhaps just because she was exhausted. Judge Walker interrupted and threw the question out because of the rape shield laws, this was not a time to blame victims.

Taylor still answered that the reason she slept with Andre was out of fear. Trina had to watch Dean's reaction as he sat in the witness room with a guard. His skin had grown pale and his body was trembling with great force.

When Brandon finished with Taylor, he left open for Scott to call forward any further witnesses. The next witness was Tori. Tori breathed in slowly and looked at Trina. The sisters exchanged a tight hug, then Tori made her way out. "

While Trina had not thought about it, this could be a big thing to give an edge to the case; Tori being a former celebrity herself testifying against a current one was bound to raise a few eyebrow.

"I'm here on behalf of my sister, Katrina Tyler." Tori stood strong while glaring at Andre. For a moment, she looked ready to tear him limb from limb. "I was present for what I believe was a confession from Andre Harris."

"Yes, do elaborate." Scott swept his hand through the air and squinted. "When you say a confession, you mean an admission of guilt?"

"I do." Tori folded her arms across her chest. "In our college year, Andre and I were on and off again friends, we were at the point where we very rarely spoke." Tori narrowed her eyes at Andre and curled her hair over her ear. "Close to our last year in college, he became very drunk at a bar one night and called me up asking if I would pick him up since no one else would."

Her lips tightened and the corners of her mouth extended into her cheeks, deepening the scowl lines around them. Her head was leaned back a bit, so she carefully and slowly brought her chin down, casting a fiery gaze upon Andre.

Trina watched the man writhe in his seat. Though he didn't visibly move from his forward hunched position, his shoulders seemed to curl inwards and the features around his face sank a bit.

"It was approximately two in the morning when I went to get him. I was in my night gown and already in an irate mood because he woke me up." Scott slid his hand across his chin, nodding and humming simultaneously. "At one point, at an intersection that I do not recall, he put his hand on my knee and looked at me." Trina's heart stopped and Andre dropped his head.

"What did he say to you?"

"He said it meant a lot to him we were still friends." It sounded more like Andre had been about to come onto Tori while they were in the car and before he said his statement. The knowledge of that enraged her, but judging by the shock on the faces of the jury, it was a good thing to hear.

Tori didn't shed a tear, but her silent and quivering tone spoke volumes. Her eyelids were lined with a moisture that she wiped away with her finger. "He then told me, and I will never forget these words: 'It means a lot, even though I fucked your sister'."

"I asked him what he meant, because I didn't think Trina would sleep with him, and the next thing he told me was that he forced her, she dumped him so he forced her and she 'deserved' it." Tori held her breath and leaned back. Her eyes closed and her head shook from left to right. "I slammed on the breaks and told him to get out of my car."

"Did he leave?"

"Not at first, he was begging me to keep driving, but I was insistent that I never wanted to see him again, and he left."

"Did you see him again?"

"No. He was picked up by the police and I later filed for a restraining order just in case he came after me."

"You felt like he was going to come after you?"

"I did." A single tear ran down Tori's left cheek and she cleared her throat. "I was afraid, if he was able to attack my sister like that, why wouldn't he do it to me?"

Tori remained stoic when Mr. Bailey came up to question her. "Miss Wilson, is it?"

"Ms. Wilson, I identify as Ms. Wilson."

"Okay." Brendan put a gentle hand on Andre's shoulder. Andre raised his head and flashed a toothy smile at Tori, but the woman did not react. "To your recollection, Mr. Harris was very drunk that night?"

"Yes."

"Is it at all possible that this could have been a drunken rambling, then? Nothing coherent or meaningful?" Tori raised an eyebrow and leaned to the left a bit. She started to hum and raised her eyebrow.

"I don't believe it was, but he had been fairly silent for the first part of our drive back." Brendan's eyebrows moved to the center and his hand rose over his mouth for several seconds as he peered down at the notes on his desk.

"My client has very little recollection of this conversation."

Tori chuckled and rolled her eyes, replying back with a spiteful tone. "I am not in control or responsible for what he may or may not remember. I am only responsible for what I remember, and this is what I recall."

"Yes, I suppose that is accurate." Tori answered a few more questions for Brandon before being released. At this point, Brandon called up a key witness, Lane Alexander.

Trina was shocked to see the former school guidance counselor, much less testifying on behalf of the defense, but he was their expert witness. Brandon ran through his questions, confirming that yes Andre had indeed been in his office almost every day to talk about problems with his grandmother and other issues and that Andre appeared to display some mental disorder.

When it was Scott's turn to cross-examine, he stood with his head bent slightly and his hand folded over his mouth and chin. "Mr. Alexander. Lane. There is no doubt you are a skilled man of your craft." Lane smiled as Scott lowered his hand and straightened his back.

"Tell me as a school guidance counselor, what was your primary job?"

"I saw helped students decide what classes to take," Lane answered, "But I was also a licensed grief counselor and psychiatrist."

"And where did you earn your degree?"

"The university of Oklahoma in 1996."

Scott raised his hand, wagging his finger in the air. "Have you ever clinically diagnosed a student with a mental disability?"

"No sir…" Lane's eyes drifted to the right and his shoulders rose. "I could suggest."

"Then is it true that you never diagnosed the defendant or prescribed medication?"

"As a school counselor I would have been unable to prescribe medication to a student, and no, I never diagnosed Andre." Lane closed his eyes and Trina watched with pride as a smirk spread across Scott's face. "I believe his grandmother was diagnosed with clinical depression, paranoia and bipolar disorder."

"But Andre himself was never diagnosed?"

"No sir. Not by me." This was excellent news in Trina's mind because it helped diffuse the insanity defense. "To my recollection he was never diagnosed with anything."

"Never diagnosed with anything?" Scott leaned back, sweeping his hands out sideways. "So you're saying you have no evidence or knowledge that the defense has a mental disorder? Did he appear to recognize the things that were wrong?"

"When we spoke he displayed knowledge of right from wrong. Yes sir. I remember he felt that it was wrong to think of his best friend's girlfriend in a romantic or sexual way."

"I see. Did he ever speak to you about the victim, sir?"

"Yes."

"And how did he react?"

Lane squinted and rolled his head to the side. "With great anger. He did not display any emotions that indicated a desire to harm her, but he was fairly angry with her and the fact that she dumped him." Lane's thin lips closed and his wrinkled brow furrowed a bit. "Andre Harris displayed tendencies where he was overly preoccupied with himself or finding a woman that he would date, he displayed a massive ego in which he needs a woman to massage."

For a moment, Trina thought she saw Scott flash a smirk at Brandon. Andre's insanity defense was looking better and better by the minute, and by that, she was almost certain it was being ripped apart.

Brandon had a look of annoyance mixed with utter defeat, but he had to know the case was unwinnable. It wasn't his fault, Andre refused to take any plea deals because he felt confident that he could win.

His mighty empire was crumbling, and the war wasn't finished yet. "I'm left," she whispered under her breath. Her hands closed on her legs and her head bowed. "I have to be strong. I can do this. I've stared down people like this before…" But those were different still because they weren't her own attacker.

Trina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart as he focused on trying to calm her nerves.

* * *

So the expert witness for the defense looks to be weak, there is no real documentation that Andre had a valid disorder at the time of the crime yet further proof that he talked about Trina dumping him and was pissed about it. Then we have the testimonies of Taylor and Dean. Even Tori, who would you say handled that rather well? What are your thoughts here? It looks like the Jury may have sympathized with Dean, even, so the Jury's not buying the celebrity status it would seem. I suppose this will be a lesson to all celebrities: Not above the law of the land and you can't pay your way out.


	30. Unwavering Support

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 30 (Unwavering Support)

During the time of the next recess, Trina managed to stabilize the emotions that were chipping away at her. It wasn't easy dealing with everything, even when it had been twenty-six years. To make matters worse, the trial was taking place so close to the anniversary of the assault. While she hadn't said anything of it, everyone knew.

"I wanted to thank you." She felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched before spinning around and raising her hand. She saw Taylor pull her hand away and wince. "Sorry."

Trina put her hand to her chest and curled her lips into a simple smile. "It's okay." She dropped her hand and cleared her throat. "Thank me for what?"

"Everything." She watched Kimberly run towards her mother and take her by the hand. The child was like a bright light in the darkness-and despite the child's own testimony that took place-still didn't seem any less happy than she was before. "Because of you, getting that social worker put in her place, I managed to have my baby with me."

Taylor wiped her face with her hand and Kimberly raised her head. "I don't know what I would do if I lost her and Dean both." Taylor looked away to the right for several seconds, her shoulders rose and her head swayed gently from side to side as tears ran from her eyes. "That monster. He's a demon. I still love my son, no matter how he was conceived, but I can't possibly imagine what must be going through his head right now."

"It must be difficult for you not to be there, but I'm sure he knows you love him. You're his mother, you always will be." Trina brought her hand down on Taylor's shoulder, smiling warmly as the woman looked into her eyes. "That is the one thing Andre can never take from you."

"Thanks."

"I should thank you. You didn't have to testify."

Taylor chuckled and wiped her hands over her face, sliding them across her cheeks. "Are you kidding me? You saved my baby from being taken from me. The least I could do is testify against that monster…I married him, remember?"

"I know." She pulled her purse strap onto her shoulder and accepted a tight hug from Taylor. The woman then led her daughter away, leaving her alone in the hallway.

She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of heels clacking along the tile. "Hey." Tori's voice filled her ears and led her to open her eyes partially. Her smile grew and she took a step towards her sister.

"Hey." Tori still inspired her even now, to the point she wanted to try and have the strength that she had when she would go to testify. Tori wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight without speaking. She touched her cheek to her sister's, gasping softly at the cold moisture.

Tori's embrace became tighter and comforted her more than any words could do. She wrapped her arms around her sister, rubbing her gently on the back while blowing out a heavy exhale.

"It's almost over." She felt Tori's body grow lighter, and the woman slid back, moving her hands down to Trina's elbows. The woman gazed into Trina's eyes with a tearful smile. "I love you, Tri."

"Oh." Her shoulders and chest sank as tears sprouted from her eyes. "Don't make me emotional, Tori. I can't be emotional before I go in there."

"Who cares? You're a strong woman, you always have been."

"I don't know."

"People are going to say-Katrina Tyler, District Attorney, has put away serial killers, murderers, rapists, burglars and she was strong enough, brave enough to go on the stand herself to testify against her own rapist. You're an inspiration, you're _going to be_ an inspiration."

She cocked her head to the right, chuckling once. "I don't feel like an inspiration." She felt the opposite; she felt like a beaten punching bag. "Mr. Tillman is going to put away a famous musician. I'll be the DA who put away a powerful celebrity…"

"A celebrity that _deserves_ to be in prison." Tori's brow furrowed and she glanced over her shoulder. "That man? He wouldn't have even been famous if this was done two decades ago. Also, you're stronger for it."

"Please. People hate victims of celebrities-not to mention, almost every celebrity gets off fairly light." Typically because they had the money to get lighter sentences, or they paid off the judge or members of the jury.

Andre had at least 50 million dollars, so Trina was terrified he'd only get a short sentence and be out on the streets. "I met a fan the other day, Tori, of Andre's." Tori's hands fell to her waist and her eyebrow rose.

"Oh?"

Trina hugged her stomach, wincing as her gut clenched. "They looked at me and said 'he'll be out before you know it'." She shook her head and leaned back. "I'm terrified. It's been a long time since I've been this scared."

"What are you scared of?"

A tight feeling grew in her throat and she shook her head slowly. "Him." A choked gasp fled from her lips and she ran her fingers over her wet cheeks. "I'm terrified he _will_ get a light sentence, I'm terrified he'll come after me or he'll go after my family." She opened her eyes and curled her eyebrows together. "What if he does it again, Tori? What if-"

"Stop." She moved her hand over her mouth and stifled a cry. Tori raised her hands up, cupping Trina's face and looking into her eyes with the most sincere look that Trina had seen in a long time. "Listen to me. You've made it this far, this long, that man has only just come back…you've already shown the world he had no power over you…He _cannot_ hurt you. Where he is right now, he is powerless, he is weak, and he would be an idiot to try anything."

"But…"

"No. You're about to become the fucking district attorney of Sacramento." Trina chuckled as her tears slid over her parted lips and onto her tongue, filling her dry mouth with a moist and salty taste. "You're about to become one of the most powerful women in this town. You have an empire that's greater than his, you have a family that love you and friends who care the world about you…so who cares what happens to him? He would be a _fool_ to try anything, because look at all he would have to go through to even reach you."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked beyond Tori to see Rebecca walking down the hall beside Rachel. Surrounding Rachel were Shawn, Michelle, Kevin, Beck and Jade, their daughter, David and his wife. Jason was walking with George just a few steps behind.

Also with them were Jason's parents, and Mr. Sikowitz. Ian was there as well, lending his support for her.

Having their support meant the world to her, and each person there gave her a bit of extra strength to carry on.

She took a deep and trembling breath, biting back on a whimper. "Andre may have fans," Tori said with a smile, "But so do you. You have more real fans than he could ever have." Tori stepped back as Rebecca reached them and placed her arm around the teenager's back. "And right here's your number one fan."

Trina laughed and wiped her cheeks while Rachel looked from her to Rebecca and back. "Well I might argue that one. Rather, _Dad_ might argue it more." Jason rolled his eyes and smirked as his children laughed.

Michelle and Shawn ran up to Trina, throwing their arms around her. "Brave Momma," Michelle chimed. Trina looked down with wide eyes and arched her eyebrows. The small child didn't know exactly what was going on, neither did Shawn, but they knew Trina was the victim of a crime and that's why she was going on stand. They didn't know exactly what sexual assault was.

"Momma's going to put a really big bad guy away."

"I can't take credit for that…Scott's the one doing the case, I'm testifying."

Shawn let go of her and looked up. His face scrunched and his nose appeared to wiggle. "Doesn't matter mom." Trina raised an eyebrow. "We're glad you're going up there."

Jason approached her and she mustered up the best smile she could as he moved his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. Rachel let out a heavy sigh and dragged the young children away.

Trina's fingers wrapped around his biceps and her body leaned against his. Her heart pounded against his, but oddly his was beating much faster. "I'm proud of you," Jason said with a whisper, "I'm proud of you for doing this. I know it isn't easy."

"It can't be easy for you."

"Don't worry about me."

"You always say that, but I always do." She wiped a tear from her eye and cleared her throat. "How are you handling all of this." Jason was a big part of the case, though he had no real involvement in it. Even when the assault happened, he blamed himself because Trina did dump Andre for him.

He talked about it with her eventually, when they were both very open and honest about it and ready to discuss what happened, and she made sure to let him know she didn't hold anything against him.

Jason breathed in slow, raising his shoulders and expanding his chest. "All I can think is I want you home and that bastard rotting. That's how I'm feeling." Trina smiled more and moved her head to his chest. Her arms slid around his body and her hands clasped together at the middle of his back.

"I'll be home soon enough. I trust Judge Walker, I trust Scott. I don't care what Andre's fanatics say, I know they'll give him the sentence he deserves."

"Screw his fanatics," Beck said with a growl, "They don't know that demon. We never even knew him." Jason pulled his head back, closing his eyes and breathing out sharply. "Sorry."

"What you're doing…" Jason looked back to Trina. She felt his fingers sliding through her hair and closed her eyes as his warm breath caressed her cheeks. "You've always been strong, you've never ceased to amaze me. I love you, more and more I love you."

"Remember how I thought…I thought you would have hated me because of what happened? I thought Andre-"

"He could never take you from me, he could never change how I feel about you." She rolled her head upright and opened her eyes partially. "That's something no man could do. What we had, what we have…absolutely nothing could ever destroy. We're stronger for it. Hell, all that man back there managed to do was make us that much closer."

Tori crossed her arms and nodded. "Back then Andre wanted to destroy you." Trina glanced over, her brow furrowed and she leaned back, sliding her hands back to Jason's arms. "He wanted to hurt you, to damage you, but he couldn't. You had somebody there that cared about you, supported you, gave you the strength when you needed someone to fall on…now all these years later he tried to do the same, but you know what's different about you now?"

"What?"

"You're much stronger," David interrupted. Trina chuckled once and looked to her dad with a subtle smile. "Not only that you have all of us here to keep you grounded, we're here for you. You can trust us…"

"You're right." She glanced back to see Scott watching from a nearby doorway. He was leaning his right shoulder into the frame of the door and had his right leg hooked over his left. "If you'll excuse me."

She made her way over, sensing the attorney wanted to talk to her about something. The man straightened his posture and looked at her with concern. "Trina. Here's the thing, and it's up to you."

"What?"

"With all the witness testimony, all the evidence, we have enough that we can most likely get a guilty verdict." She pursed her lips. Her forehead wrinkled and the corners of her mouth sank into her cheeks. "I have a plan when Andre is put on the stand."

"What's the plan?"

"I believe with his ego, with how much he seems to love himself and how smug he is-he may brag, or even get angry enough that he could confess on the stand. I don't need him to, but it would be a caveat."

"Okay?"

"What I'm saying…" He ran his hand over his neck and took a deep breath. "If you don't feel comfortable taking that stand, if you don't want to testify, you don't have to. We may not even need you to with all that stuff." Her eyebrows shot up and she closed her hands.

"Are you kidding?" Her chest tightened and she kept a quiet, calm tone despite the simmering inside. "No. I know you're trying to protect me from having to sit in that courtroom. Remember that right now I am not your boss, I am the victim of a violent crime, you do not need to worry about coddling me. You need to focus on getting that asshole put away."

"I know." Scott folded his hands on his stomach and cocked up the right side of his mouth. "I figured you would turn that down anyway. Good."

"My testimony will cement your case, and you know it."

"Yes, it will. We'll get him, Mrs. Tyler."

"Thank you." His support also meant a great deal to her, and for the first time, she knew how it felt to have a lawyer so willing to fight for her. She knew now what Rebecca must have felt so long ago and what Tori must have felt when she learned about the case where Bradley's killer was put away.

The pride and relief inside of her was only slight, and she knew when this was all over, that relief would sweep through her. "I'll admit it, Scott. I am terrified. I don't know what's going to happen when we get in that courtroom…I might break down, I might not."

"You just do the best you can, take as much time as you need when you answer those questions, and then…when Mr. Bailey starts to cross-examine you-"

Her hands uncurled and stretched as her eyes widened. "Oh god."

"Don't let him overtake you." Scott placed a hand on her upper left arm and smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't forget who you are either." She closed her eyebrows together and stared curiously at him. "I'll even remind you if I have to, but you know how lawyers operate-especially defense. There are so many rape shield laws that Brandon absolutely cannot do anything to put you on trial, but he will still attempt to break you-and you know that."

"Yeah…"

"So steel yourself, be strong as you are, and you know you can do this." Scott dropped his hand and raised his eyebrows. "Besides." Her eyes darted into his and his smirk grew. "You did teach me all that you could over the years. If you trust me, we have control of the courtroom."

"Brandon's going to have to hit pretty hard." Scott was correct, she knew all the moves and all the steps that a defense lawyer could make. There wasn't much he could do to catch her off guard because there wasn't much that she hadn't seen before. "We've got this?"

"We do, Mrs. Tyler, we do indeed."

* * *

I wanted to get this one out of the way, but it's a bit of a pep talk before the battle I suppose. What are your thoughts? Scott's right, Brendan will try and break her down, but remember that the shield laws in place in this story are a lot stronger than the ones that we have today, so there's only so much he can do. One thing he _cannot_ legally do is imply blame on her. He cannot heap guilt onto her for dumping Andre because she was in love with Jason, he cannot justify Andre's crime. Although I'm trying to remember, he may actually not be allowed to cross-examine her period because I _think_ the shield laws prevent cross-examination of the victim...He might be able to ask her questions pertaining to Andre's defense such as if he seemed mentally unstable at the time or acted like he didn't know what he was doing.


	31. Trina's Testimony

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Okay I looked it up, the defense attorney cannot cross examine sexual assault victims about prior sexual behavior. In other words he can't ask about a victim's sex life as though to imply she was a sexual deviant or something. Cannot be done.

By the way, because I have finished writing the story, I'm posting the last two chapters now.

* * *

Chapter 31 (Trina's Testimony)

Trina walked into the courtroom with her head held high. Her cheeks were still wet with tears, but not horribly so. She dusted off her slacks and pulled up on her blazer as she took her seat in the court room.

Her eyes travelled first to Scott and she started to smile. Trina moved her hands along her face, remembering the laws that were in place to protect her in the court of law.

A different feeling came over her than what she was accustomed to whenever she was in the courtroom. She felt almost powerless in the witness chair, and Scott held all of the power now. Judge Walker sat above her, peering down at her. He put the hand over his microphone and whispered at her. "How are you feeling Mrs. Tyler?"

"Different. Strange." She shrugged her shoulders back and cleared her throat. "Powerless." She wasn't powerless though, and she knew it. She was ready for whatever would come her way.

When she looked at the defense desk, her heart stopped suddenly and her body grew numb. She dropped open her mouth and her eyes grew large as the color of her skin seeped away.

As a few days had passed, Andre had been allowed to request clothing for court. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, he had a smug grin on his face, and was wearing a black leather jacket over a loose olive colored t-shirt. The shirt was halfway tucked into his black leather belt and baggy black sweats that hung over brown tennis shoes.

Trina began to tremble as memories of the night flashed before her brain. "Oh god." Her stomach twisted violently, splashing bile all around and up her throat as she began dry heaving. Judge Walker and Scott were both talking to her, but she could barely hear them over her tearful whimpering.

The smug grin on Andre's face grew and even Brandon looked startled by the reaction. These clothes while obviously newer, were the same exact clothes Andre wore on the night of the attack.

Trina clenched her eyes shut and moved her hand over her mouth as the shaking in her body intensified. "This isn't normal," she heard Judge Walker say. The man looked at the defendant and pointed at him. "What are you wearing in my courtroom? You were allowed to request clothing for court, but that is not court appropriate attire."

Trina grabbed the judge's arm so tight she could draw blood. She felt the man wince and turned her head to the side, looking at the Jury as they watched her reaction in horror.

All she could see were the flashes, and with each breath she took, she had to fight to keep from screaming. Andre was doing this on purpose, but she couldn't figure out why.

Scott walked up to her and placed his hand on hers. "Mrs. Tyler? What's happening. I think she's having flashbacks, your honor."

Trina fought away the flashes, taking deep breaths while picturing her family in her head. Her eyes traveled to the concerned audience where she saw Jason looking bewildered at her. He looked as though he wanted to run to her, but wasn't sure what to do since they were in a court room.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then released and took another deep breath. "I-I'm sorry," she said, "I…I need a moment." She heard Judge Walker call for a five minute recess in which the jury was to be excused with the audience. She cursed herself and muttered under her breath until she felt Jason's familiar hand wrapping around hers.

Trina raised her head, gasping softly when she saw him. "It's okay," he said with a whisper, "You're alright." Judge Walker had allowed him over, but she hadn't heard it. She leaned over the booth, wrapping her arms around him and placing her forehead on his abdomen. "Trina, what happened?"

"He's wearing the same clothes," She said. "The same hairstyle, same clothes, everything." She choked out a gasp and felt Jason tense. Brandon scolded his client but Andre only leaned back in his seat and pushed his hands behind his head.

"I just wanted to see what would happen."

"More like you wanted to shoot yourself in the foot," Brandon scolded, "You already know how difficult this case is and you go and pull this stunt?"

"Please. I'm a famous celebrity, everybody loves me." He chuckled softly and Trina looked up to the judge. Judge Walker was glaring venomously at Andre, his nostrils were flaring and the bristles of his moustache were flying. "Judge look, I've got a multimillion dollar empire-I'll pay you whatever you want to give me a lighter sentence. You know this case is bullshit, right?"

"You think because you are a famous celebrity that you are above the law?" Judge Walker slowly removed his glasses, an act he would often do when he was in his more serious moods. "Also, are you attempting to bribe me?"

"Plenty of judges have accepted money from celebrities, that's why we're celebrities, we get those gratuities."

"Oh?" Judge Walker clenched his teeth and separated is lips into such a wide grin that he looked like the Cheshire cat. "Is that so?" The man leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "I will hold you in contempt of court. Do you want to know what your celebrity status will get you in my court?"

"What?" The man leaned back, huffing loudly and flaring his nostrils. Judge Walker's eyes travelled to the security guard standing beside him.

By the time Trina had been able to calm down, with Jason's help, Judge Walker brought the jury and audience back into the courtroom. Trina straightened herself in her chair and wiped her face with a hot towel.

Behind her was a large viewing screen that the Jury and the audience could see, and the camera of a courtroom holding area for prisoners was on the screen. Andre was sitting on a cold bench in an orange prison jumpsuit with his ankles and wrists cuffed. A guard stood beside him, arms crossed, and Andre glared at the camera with a virulent sneer.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the courtroom," Judge Walker began in a slow voice, "As you can see, we have moved Mr. Harris to a separate area for the duration of the victim's testimony. He is being held in contempt of court for attempting not only to bribe the judge, but to deter the testimony of our witness. Thank you for understanding."

Scott narrowed his eyes and stood up from the prosecution desk. "Mrs. Tyler, are you okay now? Would you care to explain to the court what happened?" Trina nodded slowly, watching Brandon's shoulders slope downwards.

"Yes. On the night of March 12, 2011, my rapist wore a black leather jacket, black sweats, brown shoes and a green shirt. He had his hair pulled into a ponytail." She steadied her breath and pulled her hair back over her shoulders. "I haven't experienced a flashback so powerful in a very long time."

"Can you point your attacker out to the court?"

"He is on the screen behind me. Andre Harris." She wiped her eyes and took another deep breath. "It was 7:30 when I arrived at the school."

"What is your connection to Mr. Harris?"

"We dated for almost a week. At the time I was trying to get over my last boyfriend because we lost touch and I had given up on looking for him…" She bowed her head and furrowed her brow. Her hands closed around her slacks and she raised her head up with a soft gasp. "I was still in love with Jason and wanted to be with him, I wanted to continue the search, so I ended things with Andre."

"Around what time did you date Mr. Harris?"

"The week of February 27th, 2011. I ended things on March the 5th."

"You called it off because you still had feelings for your ex-lover?"

"Yes, and I didn't feel right by leading Andre on. He also had a reputation with dating a new woman every week, dumping them after he had sex." She folded her arms over her abdomen and closed her eyes. "I didn't want to sleep with him, I wanted only to be with Jason and no one else. I…He had no right…" Her voice broke and the muscles in her forehead bulged.

"Mrs. Tyler, could you please explain and point Jason out to the court if he is present?" Trina nodded slowly and pointed into the audience.

When her eyes met with Jason's warm and inviting gaze, she started to smile. "That's my husband, Jason Tyler." Jason smiled back at her and waved his hand. Scott turned his head, smiling softly, then he looked back at her.

"Has he helped you through the years, Mrs. Tyler?" He moved his hands to the back of his waist and spread his jacket around his elbows.

"Yes. My husband has taken care of me, I'm stronger because of him."

"You are a powerful attorney, the new District Attorney of Sacramento, as a matter of fact." Her cheeks flared red and she chuckled in response. She knew what he was doing, trying to remind her of just how far she'd come; trying to make her feel better.

"Thank you, but I'm not the DA yet."

"No?" Scott raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Because I heard recently the Mayor confirmed his decision to appoint you. Just this morning." Her eyes widened and a streak of pride shot from her heart. Scott smirked and waved his hand in the air. "But that's irrelevant to the case, Mrs. Tyler. I just thought you might like a bit of good news."

"I-I…" Tears started to well up in her eyes and she began to choke up. Her hand moved to her chest and her mouth slid into a smirk. "I'm honored, but no you're right, this isn't the time."

"Do you feel you can explain to the courts what happened the evening of March 12, 2011?" She straightened her back, cupped her hands firmly around her knees and slanted her eyes.

"Yes." Her lips pressed together and her fiery gaze burned into Brandon. It was easier to walk through the scene without Andre there. As her eyes travelled to Jason and her family, she felt an enormous energy seeping from them and into her.

She knew she could do this, so long as they were there, so long as Jason was there she was able to do this. She gazed into Jason's eager eyes-speaking like she spoke to him several years ago on the day she finally opened up to him.

"I received a text message from Andre Harris on March 12th around 5:30 telling me that he'd seen Jason and was going to meet him at the school at 7:30."

"Why did he say this? Do you know?"

Trina swept her hair over her ear and watched Jason's eyes soften. "I told Andre I still loved Jason and was continuing my search for him." Her voice lowered and she shook her head. "My mistake. He used that to…to lure me there. He cussed me out the day I dumped him, said I would regret it."

"I have to ask, do you recall what he said that day? 'You will regret it'?"

She remembered his words as though he said them just the day before. "He said to me: 'You're dumping me for a fucking guy that you don't even know how the hell to find?'" She pulled her hand up to her throat and closed her eyes, with her voice breaking. "'Nobody dumps me, you can't dump me. I'll make sure your regret this, bitch'."

She gasped softly and cleared her throat. "When I arrived, he let me in and I immediately asked where Jason was." Her forehead tensed and her eyes shut tight. "He led me to the East end of the school, then put the gun to my back…"

 _"Jason's not here, bitch. I don't care if you're Tori's sister, I'll fucking kill you."_ Trina's eyes flew open and she let out a sudden gasp. Scott furrowed his brow and raised his hand to his chin.

"Take your time, Mrs. Tyler."

She remembered trying to turn to defend herself, but the minute she did, Andre shoved her into the locker. "He slammed me into the locker, I hit my face on the side and sank to the ground." Every muscle in her body burned and her fingers were beating like drumsticks on her legs. "I remember the blood in my mouth, the taste…god…"

She shook her head and the center of her neck sank in as her chest expanded. "He actually kicked me before grabbing my hair." She put her hand to her head, grabbing a tuft of her hair to demonstrate exactly what Andre had done. She tugged it gently and fought back the tears in her eyes. "I began screaming, praying someone-anyone might hear me."

Sikowitz bowed his head and she wanted to tell him it would be okay, but this wasn't the time to console him.

"He yanked me to the bathroom and I grabbed the frame, begging him to stop." She remembered the words that came out of his mouth next, the words that struck her with a state of terror that she'd never felt before. "He-He said to me, he said to me…'Stop struggling or I'll kill you. I'm going to fuck every hole, so much that your Jason won't stand the sight of you'."

Her relatives closed their eyes and Jason furrowed his brow. Trina choked up once more and wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve. She remembered pleading that he shouldn't do something like this to his friend's sister-that her father would kill him-but Andre said of both that they would never care and no one would believe her.

"'No one will listen to you', he told me. 'You're just an attention seeking whore, and Tori hates you'." Tori's shoulders and chest rose as the woman shifted an angry glare at the screen behind Trina. The woman's nostrils flared and her lips stretched into a thin line.

"He set his gun down and grabbed me with both hands before pushing me into the toilet." The stench of urine struck her nose and she whimpered while sweeping her hand over her nostrils. "I fought back. I pushed, trying to escape." She could still taste the toilet water on her tongue. Her trembling hand rose to her chest. "I managed to kick his ankle or leg, I don't remember what."

This strike freed her, but only enraged Andre more. She tried to run at that point, but he tackled her and her shoulder slammed into the mirror of the sink. She wound up clutching her shoulder and falling down, which left her in a position for Andre to pounce her.

"At that point." Her voice was hoarse and she struggled to get each word from her mouth. "He began ripping off my clothes, saying I deserved it, saying it's what I get."

She explained how Andre fondled her and how he positioned himself over her face. She couldn't push him away. Her tears were dripping from her chin and jaw  
now, and her hands were turning white as they clutched the ends of her jackets.

The taste and smell returned to her, throwing a shiver down her spine. She let out a gasp, sparing them some of the details. "He threw me against the wall and he…he pen-" She held her breath, burying her head into her hands and shaking with greater force.

"It's okay Mrs. Tyler," Scott reassured her. Trina felt like she had to get through this, she needed to. Even though she didn't want the entire court knowing everything, they had to hear it.

She forced herself to push through the act, coming close to vomiting multiple times. When it was over, a hush fell over the courtroom and she was left breathing heavily while struggling against the memory.

Trina leaned back slowly, closed her eyes and blow out a heavy breath. "When he left, he said he would kill me if I told anyone. He said he would do it to my sister too." She saw Tori's eyebrows shoot up. This time Beck and Jade gave the viewing screen the evil eye.

"But you called the police anyway?"

"I did. I had to, I-I had to do something. They came, they took me to the hospital…I pleaded for them not to take me to my mom, but they did." She took a deep breath and dropped her hands to her knees.

"You filed anyway but stopped. Why?"

"Aside from his threatening me, his father was the head prosecutor at the time." Scott bowed his head and slid his hand over his neck. "I was told once by the man that he wasn't going to put his son's case through, so there was no point."

"So you let it go."

"By the grace of god my parents insisted evidence be kept in storage."

"What made you file now."

"The bastard went after my daughter." They had it on record from Dean's statement that Andre wanted him to teach her a lesson by assaulting Rachel. "After his son's bond hearing he came after me in a parking garage and threatened to rape and kill me if I didn't go back to Judge Walker and demand his son be released on bail."

"I see." Scott took a deep breath and lowered his hand. "On a lighter tone, you found Jason again I see. How did that come about?" Trina wiped her eyes and blew her nose into a tissue.

Her lips curled into a smile and she looked over to Jason. "It was late April that same year. Mr. Sikowitz did a class exercise that took place at his home, my little sister and her friends took part…that's where they met Jason." She grabbed another tissue and proceeded to dry her tears.

Scott smiled softly and to Trina's surprise, Brandon wasn't objecting. This technically wasn't a part of the case, although it could have case, although it could have been. "Andre Harris was there too, he had no idea who Jason was…"

Neither Jason or Andre had any idea how close they were to each other. It would have been frightening if he knew, so she was thankful. "A friend of ours, Catherine Valentine, actually drug him off."

"How did the two of you end up meeting that night?"

She swayed to the right, chuckling aloud as a goofy smile spread across her face. "Jason was still looking for me." The Jurors gave sighs of awe and some of them were looking on tearfully. "He wasn't interested in Catherine and he recognized my sister's last name-Victoria Vega-so he begged her to take him to me. She did."

"That was nice of her, wasn't it?"

"She was the nicer of my sister's friends back then." Trina waved her hand in the air and watched Beck and Jade chuckle. Even Ryan, who was sitting in the pews had a look of astonishment on his face that faded into a proud smile.

"It must have been difficult for you still, given what you had gone through, correct?"

"It was. He didn't understand at first because I didn't tell him, but we started dating again and he was respectful. He knew something happened, just not what, and then I told him when I was ready…He understood, he respected me, he was there for me when no one else was. I might not even be alive if it wasn't for him…"

"Why is that?"

"I was so depressed, I was paranoid and fearful. I didn't think I deserved him, or anyone, for the longest time." She wiped her eyes and her voice broke. "We didn't even make love for almost ten years." She pointed to Rachel, who puffed up with pride. "My daughter, sixteen years old. The first time I trusted Jason completely, I knew I loved that man and knew he would always be there, the first time I was completely comfortable after what happened to me…we were rewarded with a beautiful baby girl."

Rachel blushed madly and raised her hands up to her face. Trina's brow furrowed and she started to growl. "Then that monster sent his son after my baby."

"Do you think the attack was connected?"

"I do. I believe he knew she was my daughter and he sent his son after her because of me."

Scott clasped his hands and nodded. "I want to thank you for your bravery and honesty, Mrs. Tyler." Trina smiled graciously and closed her eyes. "I pass the witness."

When she looked at Brandon he gave a defeated sigh. The look on his face was one of despair and discouragement and she knew he didn't want to continue, but a good lawyer doesn't give up the fight. He would have to continue and she respected him for doing so.

"Mrs. Tyler." Brandon stood up and tucked on his jacket. "When you dated my client, did he ever give you the impression of being mentally unstable?"

"No sir. I knew him far before then as well."

"How long have you known my client?"

"I introduced him to my sister. He was part of the reason she went to Hollywood Arts. This was…" She rolled her head to the right and snapped her fingers. "2009. I was sixteen and at Hollywood Arts, he was in one of my classes."

"Okay. Did he display neurotic tendencies?"

"No sir. He was also over with Tori several times over the years and not once did he give the impression of being mentally unstable."

"I see." Brandon rolled his eyes and coughed into his hand. "In 2009, did he appear to date frequently? You claim that he dated frequently."

"He would date rather often, yes."

Brandon leaned to the right and crossed his arms. "On the night of March 12, 2011, is there any doubt whatsoever that my client was your one sole attacker that night?" He let out a sigh and Trina shook her head.

"It was him, I am one hundred percent positive. Andre Harris lured me there, he let me in the building, and he attacked me. There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind…"

"Thank you." Brandon sat down, cupping his hand over his mouth. Trina raised her eyebrows and cleared her throat, causing him to glance up and stand suddenly. "No further questions, Your Honor."

* * *

It looks pretty solid I would say, what say you? What are your thoughts to everything?


	32. A Judge's Decision: Finality

Family Bonds

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This is the final chapter.

* * *

Chapter 32 (A Judge's Decision: Finality)

There was a short recess in which Trina wound up finding Jason in the hallway outside and cuddling close to him. This was the most vulnerable she felt in such a long time, so she needed him with her.

His right arm wrapped around her tiny body, keeping her close to him. "You did great up there," Jason whispered. The trial wasn't over yet, even if the defense attorney appeared to give up, the jury had to reach a verdict. "How are you feeling."

"Better with you." She felt a sudden force pushing between them and looked down to see Michelle trying to crawl between them. Jason smiled and she laughed before helping Michelle up.

"Momma." Michelle threw her arms around her. Michelle and Shawn had been in a room with a security guard where they could see the trial but not hear it. Trina didn't want them to know the details of her attack.

Michelle's face was wet with tears and her arms were tightening around Trina's waist. "Momma sad. I don't like when mommy be sad." Shawn climbed up on her other side and threw his arms around her, then kissed her cheek.

"We're here mom." Trina smiled brightly and looked up to see Rachel standing in front of her.

"I don't care what anyone says." Rachel sat down and reached her hand over, cupping it around Trina's. "I'm proud of you, mom. You're my hero no matter what."

"Thank you sweetie. You know the trial's not over yet."

"It may as well be. What's left, anyway?"

"The defense has to call Andre to the stand. Mr. Tillman will cross-examine him."

"Well Andre's an idiot. What he did was just sick." Rachel crossed her arms and scoffed. It was clear Rachel was referring to his stunt in the courtroom. While he tried to deter her testimony, all his stunt did was anger everyone and help her to open up more. "I hate all of this. I really do, but I'm glad you're doing this." Rachel pulled out her phone and Trina started to tense. "I'm looking at social media and-"

"I'm not sure I'm ready to hear what people are saying, dear."

"It's not bad. You have some of Andre's fanatical fans but people are actually calling them out, fighting with them. You have a lot of supporters." Her heart swelled as Rachel raised the phone up. "Listen to this: Mrs. Tyler is our hero, she's so brave to stand up to him! I'm glad she's the mayor's chosen."

She chuckled softly and Rachel started to grin. "You don't know what you're talking about, he-that's Andre-sounds like a monster. I hope he burns in hell." Rachel paused, her thumb hovered on the screen and her eyebrows arched. "and then someone responded to that person: I think even Lucifer would turn him away, hell's too good for him. I'm burning all the records I ever owned of his."

Trina cleared her throat and snuggled closer to Jason. Jason raised his head and moved his hand across his neck. "I think that's enough, Rachel." Rachel lowered the phone and nodded her head.

It was good to hear all the support she was being given, though she was a little thrown aback by it. Of course the live cameras annoyed her, especially in that seat where she felt so powerless.

Now, it would be Andre that would be powerless. He couldn't control her any longer.

In the courtroom, Trina remained strong with her head held high as Andre took his seat in the witness stand. For the first time, she saw nervousness in his eyes as opposed to his smug countenance.

"Andre." Brendan rolled his head backwards and stretched himself. "There's history of mental illness in your family, correct? Your grandmother?" Andre raised his cuffed hands, coughing into them.

"Yes, she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia." Brandon nodded slowly and paced to the right.

"What about your mother?"

"My mother took her life when I was young, and my father deserted us until I was in my teens. I think that's when the trouble started."

"What trouble?"

"Sometimes." Andre raised his hand up to his head and let out a sigh. "Sometimes my head would just start pounding, and for no reason I would fly into these random rages." Trina rolled her eyes and Brandon started to hum.

"Without any explanation?"

"That's correct, sir." This display went on for some time that it was laughable. Every now and then Trina would glance at the jury, and by their blank and bored expressions, she could tell they weren't buying it.

Eventually Brandon finished and Scott was ready with a sharp look in his eyes. Trina was eager to see what he had up his sleeves. "Mr. Harris." Scott folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "It seems like you were quite the lady's man when you were younger. Am I right?"

"Yeah, you're right." Andre smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "What about it? I don't deny I enjoyed the company of women."

"You dated quite frequently then?"

"Well, sure."

"Date 'em and leave em?"

"Well it wasn't like that. I mean there would be a number of reasons we'd break up and I'd move on." He shrugged and raised an eyebrow. Scott pushed a tape recorder forward with his fingertips and looked at the Judge.

"Your Honor, if I may, I would like to present to the court another piece of evidence. Statements given to the investigators of women that have come in and out of Mr. Harris's life." Andre's eyebrows rose and the Judge thought about it for a moment before admitting it into evidence.

Trina was intrigued as well and listened eagerly as Scott played the tape. "Yeah I remember him," one girl said, "He was real pushy about getting me in bed. So I decided to have sex with the guy, you know, give him what he wanted. Next thing I know I 'wasn't the right type'. He's an ass!"

"Ugh this guy," another woman said, "We dated for about three days. I wouldn't put out so he dumped me. I guess some guys just aren't looking for something."

As more women stepped up to talk about their experiences with him, Trina kept her eyes on Andre, watching as he continued to writhe and sink in his seat. Occasionally he would tug on his collar and other times he would begin looking around as though wanting to escape.

All of a sudden she felt the power in the room shifting back to her. She was not only stronger, but she was a million times more powerful than Andre could ever be. "You lose." She wanted to whisper those words from her lips. He didn't affect her anymore, he couldn't terrorize her. He was the weak one now, but he'd always been.

Scott stopped the tape and hummed at the scowl on Andre's face. "How does that make you feel, Andre? Are you angry?"

"Those girls don't know how good they had it." Andre crossed his arms and looked away with a huff. Brandon smacked his forehead and began shaking his head. "I mean come on, what woman wouldn't want to be with a guy like me?"

Trina almost wanted to raise her hand, to scream out that she never wanted him. "Oh yes, every woman would be so lucky to have a prize like you. There's no better man, is that correct?" Andre smirked and raised his shoulders.

"I'm the best."

"A real prize."

"Yeah."

Trina smirked with pride, she knew what he was doing now and she was truly impressed with the tact. "So you can't possibly fathom that there would be a girl who thinks there's a better man than you. You just can't see it, am I right?" Andre grunted and shrugged his shoulders.

He pointed his thumb at his chest and narrowed his eyes. "I have only met one that thought another guy was better." He sneered and glared across the room at Trina. "No one's had the gall to dump me for another guy before."

"And who was this? Say her name for the court, please?"

"Katrina Vega." Scott chuckled softly and Trina snapped her fingers. "The bitch and I dated about a week, right? And she goes on about how she's still in love with this other man, and she fucking dumps me. She dumps _me._ "

"And that infuriated you, didn't it?"

"Well how would you feel, being led on by a bitch?"

Scott clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I imagine I would be hurt. So you admit to dating Katrina Vega?"

"Yeah." Andre shifted to the side and shrugged. "I dated the bitch about a week before she dumped me for some asshole." Scott ran his hand over his face and nodded slowly. The members of the jury were beginning to pay more attention now, each intrigued by how Andre was treating this like a simple conversation.

"And then her daughter shows up at your mansion. How did that make you feel?"

"Fuck I was pissed! I thought I was done with that woman." Andre threw his hand in the air and scoffed. "I wanted to make sure that woman knew not to fucking mess with me anymore, you know what I mean?"

Scott paced to the right, looking up at the wall with a smirk. "And then your son was arrested and put on trial. He wasn't denied bond and you were arrested while pointing a gun at Trina Tyler. Tell me what was going through your mind there."

"I wanted the bitch dead." Andre sneered and then stopped suddenly. His eyes focused on the courtroom and widened tremendously. Scott turned around and cleared his throat.

"Let me remind you where you are, Mr. Harris. I'm sure you know perfectly well, though. Where are you?"

"Courthouse."

"Who is the judge today?"

"Judge Walker."

"What's my name?"

"Mr. Scott Tillman…"

"You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, you're not crazy like your grandmother was are you?"

"No, she was a fucking moron."

Scott bowed his head and ran his finger over the tip of his nose, chuckling softly. "I have no further questions." Trina was in a state of awe; Scott essentially got Andre to confess to the courtroom that he 'wanted her dead'

Judge Walker let the jury out to deliberate, and it didn't take long for them to come back. Rather, it was about twenty minutes of deliberation. One woman rose up with a notecard in her hand.

This was the moment of truth. Trina tensed as Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and her kids grabbed her hands. "We the jury," began the woman, "Find the defendant, Andre Ray Harris, guilty as charged." Andre buried his head into his hands and Trina felt a wave of euphoria crash over her. "Guilty of aggravated sexual assault. Guilty of solicitation to commit murder and sexual assault. Guilty of…"

While they read the charges, Trina wanted to jump for joy and cry out her pleasure. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. Part of her wanted to run to Scott and hug him tight.

She fell into Jason, sobbing silently into his shirt. "What does the jury recommend?" Judge Walker asked. The woman looked up, her eyes narrow and stance strong.

"We recommend life in prison with the possibility of parole."

Judge Walker squinted for a second, running his finger over his chin while staring at Andre. The man was aware if parole was possible, then Andre would try fairly often-and likely be granted parole because he was a famous celebrity.

In the criminal justice system, judges have the option to go with the jury's recommendation or impose something different.

"Andre Harris, please rise." Andre stood slowly, holding his arms behind his back and staring at the judge with disgust. "I am going to make an example of you. You have made a mockery of this court, you have attempted to bribe a judge. You have shown pride in getting away with sexual assault for thirty years, assaulting your own wife and then sending your son to attack your victim's daughter…and threatening your victim once more."

Judge Walker huffed and shook himself. "You disgust me, and never in my life have I met a person as disturbing, as vile, as sociopathic as you. To think that you, as a celebrity, might possibly garner sympathy is appalling…so I impose a sentence that will be a message of warning to all celebrities."

Andre bowed his head and Trina started to smirk as Judge Walker shuffled his papers.

"You are not above the law because you are famous. You are as every other citizen on God's gracious soil no matter how rich you are. You cannot buy a lesser sentence, you cannot buy freedom. Just because you are a celebrity, you cannot pay off a judge…"

Judge Walker narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue. "No Mr. Harris here is your sentence." Andre furrowed his brow as Judge Walker started to clear his throat. "I sentence you to death." Andre started to pale and Trina's hand moved over her mouth. "But while your son spends fifteen years in prison, you will spend fifteen years in prison and then you will be put to death. You will also be made to pay restitution up to…50 million dollars…to the victims."

Trina was beyond stunned by Judge's Walker's ruling, though part of her wasn't surprised considering how much Andre wound up pissing him off. 50 million was quite a bit, but she intended to let most of it go to Taylor. The woman and her daughter deserved it.

Andre shot her a glare, but she stared back silently. Her arm curled around Jason's and her mouth twisted into a proud smirk.

"Get him out of my courtroom," Judge Walker ordered. She held back a proud laugh and watched as the guards jerked Andre back and guided him out. The weight rolled from her shoulders, giving her a feeling of lightness that she hadn't felt before.

It was over, and she could finally celebrate. The fight was won, she had her family by her side and she finally became Sacramento's District Attorney. There could be no greater closure for her in this moment of truth and triumph. In her mind, she finally put the ultimate criminal away.

As District Attorney, Trina would go on to usher a new era of criminal justice in not only Sacramento, but California altogether. Her family grew closer, and Tori rekindled things with Ian.

For her family, she knew they'd never be apart again. She grew to be inseparable once again with Tori, and of course, Beck and Jade were always willing to be around for them.

Trina had trouble from time to time thinking about everything that happened with Andre, but she felt good knowing he would never be able to hurt anyone again. She managed to crack down harder on sex offenders in Sacramento, making it harder for them to get off, and of course celebrities everywhere knew for certain they were not immune to the law.

When the day came for Andre's execution, nobody attended. Trina didn't feel it was necessary to go as she already had her closure and had no further reason to think about him. He could die alone for all she cared.

Even Dean was released into welcoming arms, released on parole after about eight years in prison. Trina did help him get on his feet as much as she could.

Life had already been good, but now with her family altogether and the greatest villain in her life put to rest, life would be better than it ever had been.

The trust and the bonds she shared with them could never be broken, and soon through Rachel, she would have a grandchild of her own to spoil. A new family would have it's start, fresh bonds would be tied, and Trina could only hope those bonds remained strong.

* * *

What do you think of the verdict? Andre did shoot himself in the foot, anyway. This is it, the end. Thank you to all that stayed with this, I am glad you enjoyed it and grateful to those who took the time to leave their thoughts.


End file.
